Happening Now
 Sumter man, 22, in custody after nonfatal shooting
Sumter Iris Festival parade canceled, park closed Saturday due to weather forecast
Selected teachers, teaching fellows and staff members are recognized Monday at Liberty STEAM's Board of Directors' meeting at its primary academy campus, 15 School St., in South Sumter.
Liberty STEAM board caps class sizes at 24 students next year; 100 of 101 total staff secured for 2023-24, leader says
Clients and trained stretch practitioners are seen at StretchZone in Lexington. The Sumter location will be at 3384 Yampa St.
BizTalk: New stretch studio coming to Sumter soon
Manning High Golden Pride Marching Band to perform in National Memorial Day Parade

Despite gloomy weather, fun reigns at 81st-Annual Iris Festival

Attendees turn the lush green grass into a dance floor at the kick off of the 81st-Annual Iris Festival on Thursday, May 25. Saturday's activities have been canceled due to expected high winds and heavy rains, but Sunday is still on track. See theitem.com for updated information.
There are endless ways one could kick off their Memorial Day weekend. It could be by taking a bite of a juicy gyro and washing it all down with a blood peach lemonade, or browsing for new …
Memorial Day Schedule: Saturday, May 27, 2023
SCDNR officers will perform quick but thorough inspections for required safety equipment at public boat landings during the Memorial Day weekend.
Free boating inspections set for Sunday at Alex Harvin Landing
Sumter Planning Commission: Future commercial developments may appear along Oswego Highway
U.S. study: 1 in 10 suffer with long COVID after omicron, key symptoms identified

Saturday-Monday, May 27-29, 2023

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Studio Sumter

Welcome to Sumter Today!

Local stories through a local lens.  

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Friends to Follow
SPORTS
Sumter's Clayton Goff bats against Manning-Santee on Friday.
Sumter P-15’s open preseason tournament with 8-4 win over Manning-Santee, remaining games moved to Monday
Campers from last year's Sumter P-15's camp run through drills. This year's camp will run June 5-8.
P-15's set to host annual youth baseball camp
Clarendon Hall's Olivia Wilson (12) holds up Calli Yount after winning the SCISA 2A state championship last Wednesday.
Clarendon Hall's Wilson, Yount reflect on 2nd-straight softball state championship
Crestwood football players, seated from left, Hashim Patterson, Curtis Wilson and Ryan Cowell signed to play in college on Thursday, Patterson signed with Coffeyville, Wilson signed with LaGrange and Cowell will play at Brevard.
Crestwood football trio signs to continue careers
Iga Swiatek is among the French Open favorites heading into the tournament's first matches Sunday after winning last year's title.
Post-Serena, women's tennis heads to French Open led by Big 3 of Swiatek, Sabalenka, Rybakina
National Data Trends
Former President Donald Trump speaks at the National Rifle Association Convention in Indianapolis, Friday, April 14, 2023.
Zip codes donating the most money to Donald Trump in South Carolina
A brief history of the shoes and moments that defined sneaker culture
What credit score do I need to buy a house?
Counties with the lowest cost of living in South Carolina
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney looks on in the second half during an NCAA college football game against Syracuse on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, in Clemson, S.C.
College coaches are the highest-paid state employee in most states. Here's a closer look

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More local news
Sumter Mayor David Merchant holds the National Safe Boating Week Proclamation along with United States Coast Guard Auxiliary members Bob Young and Perry Moses.
Brush up on boating skills, stay safe
Efforts by Shaw Air Force Base to remove harmful "forever chemicals" known as PFAS are underway. A trenching site on base is one component of those efforts to clean up the contamination.
Sumter residents voice concerns about groundwater contamination plans at Shaw AFB Advisory Board meeting
Sumter provides free shuttle rides to downtown for Shaw AFB residents
Two youngsters help position flags at grave sites in Sumter Cemetery to mark Memorial Day in 2016 in Sumter.
Events mark calendar for Memorial Day weekend; Monday ceremony to be at fairgrounds location this year, tribute in South Sumter will follow in afternoon
The Briggs v. Elliott Spring Festival was held in Summerton on May 20-21.
Summerton remembers, celebrates at annual Briggs v. Elliott Spring Festival

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More Sports
PHOTOS: Sumter P-15's host Manning-Santee in preseason tournament
The Sumter P-15's break down the huddle after practice on Wednesday
P-15's gear up for summer, kick off season with Manning-Santee in preseason tourney tonight
Runners from Sumter Speed gather after practice for some popsicles. The track team from Next Level Athletics is primarily made up of young runners who are learning the basics of the sport.
Next Level Athletics continues to grow as Sumter Speed enters 2nd summer
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) celebrates after beating the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Monday in Los Angeles.
Nuggets make Denver a hoops town with first trip to NBA Finals in 47 years
Former Sumter High standout Theron Bradford runs for Clemson in the ACC Championship.
Former Sumter High runner Bradford reflects on role in Clemson's ACC title

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Arts & Entertainment
Vin Diesel is seen in a scene from "Fast X."

Movies with Isaiah: 'Fast X' is fun all around

Most cinematic franchises rarely reach 10 installments without having a passionate and loyal audience of some sort. There are certain anomalies, for example horror icons such as Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers and Pinhead, that have …

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Nation & World
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin
Pentagon: Allies will unite to train Ukrainians on F-16s, but warns jets aren't 'magic weapons'

WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday that European allies are developing a coordinated program to train Ukrainian forces on the F-16 fighter jet, but Pentagon leaders warned that it will be a costly and complex task and …

ASSOCIATED PRESS Veteran Sherpa guide Kami Rita, 53, center, who scaled Mount Everest for the 28th time on Tuesday arrives at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, May 25, 2023. Nepal is getting ready to mark the 70th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay.
Climbers celebrate Mount Everest 70th anniversary amid melting glaciers, rising temperatures KATHMANDU, Nepal - As the mountaineering community prepares to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest, there is growing concern about temperatures rising, glaciers and snow melting, and weather getting harsh and …
How busy will Atlantic hurricane season be? Depends on who wins battle of weather titans Two clashing climatic behemoths, one natural and one with human fingerprints, will square off this summer to determine how quiet or chaotic the Atlantic hurricane season will be. An El Nino is brewing and the natural weather event dramatically …
Fisherman David Goethel sorts cod and haddock while fishing off the coast of New Hampshire in 2016. Haddock, a staple seafood species targeted by East Coast fishermen for centuries, is experiencing overfishing, and changes are underway to prevent the fish's population from collapse, federal fishing managers said.
New England haddock imperiled by overfishing PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - A staple seafood species caught by East Coast fishers for centuries is experiencing overfishing, and regulators have cut catch quotas by more than 80% to prevent the fish's population from collapse. Haddock are one of the …
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen
Biden says debt default deal 'very close' while deadline now set at June 5 WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said a deal to resolve the government's debt ceiling crisis seemed "very close" late Friday, even as the deadline for a potentially catastrophic default …

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State News
School bus and tanker truck collide in Gilbert; 18 sent to hospital

GILBERT (AP) — A school bus collided with a tanker truck Thursday in South Carolina, sending at least 18 people, mostly children, to the hospital, authorities said. The bus was carrying 36 …

Circuit Judge Clifton Newman hears arguments on whether he should halt enforcement of South Carolina's new law banning abortion when cardiac activity is detected during a hearing, Friday, May 26, 2023, in Columbia, South Carolina.
Judge halts South Carolina's new stricter abortion law until state Supreme Court review COLUMBIA (AP) — A judge on Friday put a temporary halt to South Carolina's new law banning most abortions around six weeks of pregnancy until the state Supreme Court can review the measure. The …
This undated mugshot provided by the Richland County Detention Center shows Cory Fleming. The longtime friend of convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh admitted Thursday, May 25, 2023, that he helped his old college roommate steal more than $4 million meant for a wrongful death settlement after Murdaugh's housekeeper died in a fall.
Alex Murdaugh's longtime friend admits helping to steal $4 million wrongful death settlement CHARLESTON (AP) — A longtime friend of convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh admitted Thursday he helped his old college roommate steal more than $4 million meant for a wrongful death settlement …
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster
As South Carolina governor signs new law, abortion restrictions strain providers in U.S. South COLUMBIA (AP) — A wave of newly approved abortion restrictions in the Southeastern United States has sent providers scrambling to reconfigure their services for a region with already severely …
South Carolina House Speaker Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, checks his watch to see if it is time to preside over what would turn out to be a less than three-minute session before a nearly empty House chamber after an expected state budget compromise did not happen on Wednesday, May 24, in Columbia.
Empty House chamber tells story as S.C. lawmakers can't agree on budget COLUMBIA - Flush with extra money to spend, South Carolina's House and Senate still haven't reached a deal on the state's $13 billion spending plan set to start July 1. While no one is talking publicly about what is causing the delay, an obvious …

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Obituaries
PAUL ANTOINE RACICOT

REMBERT - Paul Antoine Racicot, age 74, beloved husband of Peggy Abbed Racicot, died on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at McLeod Regional Medical Center. You may go to www.bullockfuneralhome.com and sign the family's guest book. The family has …

CHARLES W. GREENE

GREELEYVILLE - Charles W. Greene, 76, husband of Mazie Wallace Greene, died on Thursday, May 25, 2023, at McLeod Hospice House in Florence. He was born on March 9, 1947, in the Foreston section of Manning, a son of the late Rev. Willie Greene Sr. …

JERRY L. MCCALL

Jerry L. McCall, 79, husband of Elizabeth Johnson McCall, died on Friday, May 26, 2023, at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital. He was born on Aug. 19, 1943, in Sumter, a son of the late William and Lubertha Mack McCall. The family is requesting …

GEANNIE JOHNSON TISDALE

Geannie Johnson Tisdale, age 76, beloved wife of the late Donald Leroy Tisdale, died on Thursday, May 25, 2023, at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital. You may go to www.bullockfuneralhome.com and sign the family's guest book. The family has chosen …

CHARLES STANLEY ARD

MANNING - Charles Stanley "Chuck" Ard, 70, widower of Deborah Evans Andrews Ard, died on Sunday, May 21, 2023, at his home. Born on May 8, 1953, in Montgomery, Alabama, he was a son of the late Bennie Ard Jr. and Frances Scott Ard. Mr. Ard owned …

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Faith
Church News: Friday, May 26, 2023 Allen Chapel AME Church, 471 Lynam Road, announces: * Saturday, June 3 - Fun Day for All will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring fun, food and entertainment. Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church, 3285 Peach Orchard Road, Dalzell, …
SMITH
Column by Sumter Pastor Clay Smith: Is it luck or God at work? We are told, "Some people have all the luck." The basketball player hits an impossible shot as the buzzer sounds: "What a lucky shot!" Or maybe lots of practice. What about all the times when a player shoots the ball at the buzzer and it bounces off …
A detail of a nearly 150-year-old stained-glass window depicts Christ speaking to a Samaritan woman, in the now-closed St. Mark's Episcopal church on May 1 in Warren, Rhode Island. The nearly 150-year-old stained-glass window from the Rhode Island church that depicts Christ and three New Testament women with dark skin has stirred up questions about race and the place of women in both Biblical and 19th-century society.
Stained glass window shows Jesus Christ with dark skin, stirring questions about race in New England WARREN, R.I. - A nearly 150-year-old stained-glass church window that depicts a dark-skinned Jesus Christ interacting with women in New Testament scenes has stirred up questions about race, Rhode Island's role in the slave trade and the place of …
Church News: Friday, May 19, 2023 Refreshing Springs Kingdom Outreach Ministries, 741 Bultman Drive, Suite 21, announces: * Sunday, May 28 - Pentecost service at 3 p.m. Prophet Eric Olorunsola will speak. * Sunday, June 11 - The 10th church anniversary / 18-year ministerial …
Celebrations
SAPPHIRE MARIE MONTGOMERY
Sapphire Marie Montgomery Nevarone V. Montgomery of Bronx, New York, and Isabell Rodriguez of New York City, New York, announce the birth of a daughter, Sapphire Marie Montgomery, on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, New York. Sapphire weighed …
MR., MRS. CHARLIE LARKIN
Larkins celebrate 60 years Charlie and Ernestine Larkin of Sumter celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, with a small, intimate gathering. Their two children are Renee Larkin (Phillip) Washington and Brenda Larkin (Tracy) Chamblee of …
MISS KILPATRICK
The Sumter Assembly The Sumter Assembly will present three debutantes on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022, at Quixote Club in Sumter. Margaret Pinckney Kilpatrick, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert McCord Kilpatrick, will be presented by her father and escorted by Kyle Brown …
MISS ELLOISE BETHEA
The Lord Clarendon Cotillion MANNING - The Lord Clarendon Cotillion will present three debutantes at its annual ball on Friday, Dec. 16, 2022, at The Matrix Center in Manning. Elloise Troup Bethea, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Partridge Bethea Jr., will be presented by …

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Dear Abby
Pets for adoption
Sumter SPCA's Channing is an active, curious boy

LEFT: Channing is a 3-month-old American short hair. He is housebroken and is an active and curious boy. Channing enjoys exploring, sleeping and playing with cat toys. He is great with children and other cats and is looking for a fun forever …

Weddings
MRS. ETHAN LANE
Hubbard-Lane CHARLESTON - Kristen Ashleigh Hubbard and Ethan Foster Lane, both of Mount Pleasant, were united in marriage at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022, at St. Luke's Chapel on the campus of the Medical University of South Carolina. The Rev. Joseph …

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Engagements
MR. LINDERMAN, DR. NEWMAN
Newman-Linderman Mr. and Mrs. Francis Leverne Newman Jr. of Sumter announce the engagement of their daughter, Dr. Mary Francis Newman of Charleston, to Mr. Garrett Harrison Linderman of James Island, son of Mr. Louis Russell Linderman and Mrs. Connie Louise Taylor, …
miss COONCE, KOONCE
Coonce, Koonce Mr. and Mrs. Joe Coonce Sr. of Sumter announce the engagement of their daughter, Melissa LuAnne Coonce of Sumter, to David Edward Koonce II of Florence, son of Mr. and Mrs. David Koonce Sr. of Darlington. A summer wedding is planned.
MISS GEDDINGS, MR. TRAGESER
Geddings-Trageser Mr. and Mrs. William Thomas Geddings Jr. of Manning announce the engagement of their daughter, Mary Elizabeth Geddings of Charleston, to Nicholas Jay Trageser of Summerville, son of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Jay Trageser of Summerville. The …
WILDER, MISS GRAHAM
Graham-Wilder Tad and Lyndy Graham announce the engagement of their daughter, Hannah Griffith Graham, to David Morris Wilder, son of Jay and Heather Wilder, all of Manning. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of …
Reflections
After 22 months of meeting in the Sumter Opera House during a church renovation project, the congregation of First Presbyterian marched to the church for the closing of their last service in the opera house in April 1991. The $2.6 million building project included redesigning the sanctuary and adding additional seats, repairing the steeple, constructing a porte cochere, remodeling the basement, purchasing and installing a new organ and repairing the roof.

Reflections by Sammy Way -- First Presbyterian Church: Marking its 2nd century of service to the Sumter community, Part II

This is part two of a two-part Reflections series about the 200th anniversary of Sumter's First Presbyterian Church. Read the first part of this series at www.theitem.com/reflections. In 1957, an article appearing in The Item noted that Dr. …

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Yesteryear
Palmetto trees are planted around the City-County Law Enforcement Building in the Civic Center on June 17, 1973. The trees from Pawley's Island weighed about 700 pounds each.
Yesteryear by Sammy Way: Junior Optimists meet for 1st time; 'God's Trombones' presented 75 YEARS AGO - 1948 Nov. 2 - Nov. 8 - "High-Ways" 1948, the Sumter High School annual, has been awarded both the Medalist honor rating by Columbia University in New York City and the All-American honor rating by the University of Minnesota in …
The annual sectional conference of the young people of the South Atlantic division, Salvation Army, was held in Sumter in October 1948. The Corps Cadets were present from Sumter, Aiken, Columbia, Charleston, Florence, Orangeburg and Augusta, Georgia. The photo above was taken at the Masonic Hall dining room at a supper given for all attending the conference.
Yesteryear by Sammy Way: High Hills church celebrates homecoming; Pilot Club adds names to memorial 75 YEARS AGO - 1948 Oct. 26 - 31 - Although there will be no festive parade to mark the occasion, Navy Day will be fittingly observed. All merchants have been requested to display their flags during store hours. A special 10-minute radio …
Taking a break from a hard day's work, Karleigh Nash, 20 months, enjoys a cookie May 10, 1998, after winning the Tiny Tot title in the Miss Iris Festival Pageant at the University of South Carolina Sumter's Nettles Auditorium.
Yesteryear by Sammy Way: Students' plaque dedicated to WWII heroes; residents reject plane at gardens 75 YEARS AGO - 1948 Oct. 19 - 25 - Kaiser-Frazer Corp. dealers introduced the Frazer and Frazer Manhattan, new models which complete the company's four-door sedan series for 1949. The Kaiser Special and Deluxe, companion models, were announced …

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From the opinion pages
Columnists
 Opinion: What's the matter with Texas Republicans when it comes to school choice legislation?
Editorial cartoon of Thursday, May 25, 2023
BARONE
Opinion: The Russia collusion hoax: Unpatriotic?
Your view
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