Happening Now
TRAXLER
S.C. health officials encourage mask use, vaccines in schools as variant spreads
Liberty STEAM Charter School Board of Directors Chairman Greg Thompson, center, holds a check displaying awards this summer totaling $1,415,000 on Tuesday night during a school dinner event. Thompson is flanked by his wife, Danielle, and fellow Liberty board member Ben Griffith.
2nd national foundation awards Liberty STEAM $645K
Sumterite named SC Deputy of the Year honored
2 die in head-on wreck in Sumter County
Sumter Police Department's Back to School Bash canceled again

ARCENT at Shaw Air Force Base awards 2 Best Warriors Competition soldiers for winning title in Kuwait contest

U.S. Army Central honored two soldiers, Sgt. Brandon Brantley and Spc. Omar Dacosta, with an awards ceremony Thursday after they won the USARCENT 2021 Best Warrior Competition.
Eleven warriors competed in three-digit temperatures at Camp Buehring and Camp Arifjan in Kuwait in late June with a goal to be named the best of the best in U.S. Army Central's 2021 Best Warrior Competition. Only two of those 11 soldiers were …
Best Of Sumter 2021 at the Sumter Original Brewery.
Sumter's Best: The Sumter Item holds annual Best of Sumter winners celebration at Sumter Original Brewery
ARTIST RENDERING A new AllSouth Federal Credit Union branch is going up at 2830 Broad St., near Mason Road.
AllSouth Federal Credit Union to open 2nd site on Broad Street in Sumter, near Mason Road
Without mandates, S.C. health officials urge voluntary masking; Sumter, Clarendon officials give opinions

Friday, July 30, 2021

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Studio Sumter

Sumter Today: An annual festival and rodeo returns to Rembert this weekend

After a year’s hiatus because of the pandemic, Greenfield Farm will this weekend host the 23rd Annual Black Cowboy Festival and Rodeo.Activities set for the two day festival happening this …

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Friends to Follow
SPORTS
United States forward A'Ja Wilson (9) is one of the great core of post players that the Americans have assembled for the Olympics.
Quintet of U.S. post players may be best group ever assembled
American gymnast Sunisa Lee performs on the balance beam during the artistic gymnastics women's all-around final at the Summer Olympics on Thursday in Tokyo.
American gymnast Lee takes Olympic gold
Ali Williams is shown pitching for Crestwood High School during his playing days for the Knights. Williams will don the Crestwood jersey once again as he has been named the school's new varsity baseball head coach.
Former Knight, pro Williams to coach Crestwood baseball
Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey and the conference officially extended an invitation to Oklahoma and Texas after the a vote by the SEC presidents.
SEC invites Oklahoma and Texas to join in 2025
Atlanta second baseman Ozzie Albies and third baseman Austin Riley celebrate after Riley's 2-run home run during the Braves' 6-3 win over the New York Mets on Thursday in New York.
Riley homers again as Braves win series, inch closer to Mets
Poll of the Week

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More local news
A Rotarian helps set up a Little Free Library in Sumter in July 2019.
Sumter, Clarendon civic organizations feel pandemic impact in membership
Heat, rainfall affect vector control efforts in Sumter, Clarendon
Prisma Health Tuomey job fair is Thursday; More than 50 nurse openings
FROM THE SUMTER COUNTY MUSEUM PERMANENT COLLECTION
Museum to hold reception for new exhibit, Glimpses Into the Past: Postcards of Sumter
Members of the Black Cultural Enlightenment Society and of the Myers family prepare for the 23rd annual Black Cowboy Festival and Rodeo at Greenfield Farms on Saturday. Greenfield Farms sits on land that Sandra Myers' family once sharecropped and in 1991 Sandra and Mark, her husband, bought the land back. The festival, which is one of the only of its kind in the country, has happened almost every year since. For more information or to purchase a ticket go to www.blackcowboyfestival.net or call (
Saddle up for the return of the Black Cowboy Festival this weekend in Rembert

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West Florence wins Junior state title
Former Sumter High star and current New York Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery pitches during the Yankees' 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Montgomery stops 8-start winless streak as Yankees top Tampa 4-3
Leonard Johnson is back as the head football coach at Scott's Branch just a year after his second stint with the program lasted one season.
Johnson taking third go as Scott's Branch football coach
Laurence Manning's Gabe Harris (1) was one of 11 student athletes to earn a Merit Scholarship from the Sumter Touchdown Club to go toward their college education.
TD Club presents Merit Scholarships; has new venue for upcoming season
Sumter's Hayden Kirkhart will go from being a Gamecock to a Fighting Okra this fall, as she's going to swim at Delta State. While Delta State's mascot is the Statesman, the Fighting Okra is a humorous secondary mascot for the Mississipi university.
Sumter's Kirkhart prepares to swim for Delta State

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Panorama

Club digest for July 23, 2021

The Sumter Art AssociationAfter more than a year of not meeting, the Sumter Art Association met on May 18 for a very special event in the garden of Grady Locklear. President Carla Young welcomed all …

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Nation & World
Joann Marcus of Fort Lauderdale, left, cheers as she listens to the Broward School Board's emergency meeting Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A small but vocal group spoke vehemently against masks, saying their personal rights were being eroded and their children were suffering socially.
New CDC guidelines set off rush to reimpose mask mandates

New guidance from the federal government set off a cascade of mask rules across the nation Wednesday as cities, states, schools and businesses raced to restore mandates and others pushed back against the guidelines at a time when Americans are …

Turn off, turn on can help thwart top phone hackers RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - As a member of the secretive Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Angus King has reason to worry about hackers. At a briefing by security staff this year, he said he got some advice on how to help keep his cellphone …
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, the lead GOP negotiator in the infrastructure talks, is joined by, from left, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, as he announces an agreement with Democrats on a $1 trillion infrastructure bill at the Capitol in Washington on Wednesday.
Senate ready to move ahead on $1T infrastructure bill WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Republicans reached a deal with Democrats on Wednesday over major outstanding issues in a $1 trillion infrastructure bill and said they are ready to vote to take up the bill. An evening test vote was possible. Lead GOP …
EXPLAINER: Why masks are again advised for everyone indoors NEW YORK (AP) — Wait, we're supposed to wear masks again? Even if we are vaccinated?For a large part of the U.S., that's the latest advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. …
3 tech giants report combined profits of more than $50B Three tech companies — Apple, Microsoft and Google owner Alphabet — reported combined profits of more than $50 billion in the April-June quarter, underscoring their unparalleled influence …

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State News
Elijah Whiteside leads protesters in a chant outside Solicitor Scarlett Wilson's office in the Charleston County Judicial Center on May 21 in Charleston to demand that the officers involved in the January death of Jamal Sutherland be charged. On Monday, a prosecutor decided not to charge two jail employees in Sutherland's death, saying the employees did not intend to kill him.
Prosecutor: No charges in man's death in jail due to poor training

COLUMBIA - A South Carolina prosecutor decided Monday not to charge two jail employees who stunned a mentally ill Black man 10 times and kneeled on his back until he stopped breathing, calling the guards' videotaped actions "damning" but not against …

S.C. man retraces history of family's 19th-century whiskey bottle NEWBERRY - The corked brown bottle had mystified Rex Woolbright for decades. Rumor had it the Old Ingledew whiskey, which belonged to his uncle, Logan Drake, predated the Civil War and had decorated the shelves of powerful elites. It was mostly a …
80 dogs, 2 monkeys taken from home LAKE WYLIE (AP) - At least 80 dogs were taken out of a South Carolina home because they were living in very poor conditions, deputies said. Two monkeys and a bird were also removed Monday from property in Lake Wylie, the York County Sheriff's …
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster
South Carolina says its schools can't follow CDC mask advice Despite updated federal guidelines recommending indoor mask use at schools nationwide, even for vaccinated students, South Carolina education officials said Tuesday that they won't be able to follow …
Prosecutor Dan Goldberg shows a weapon he thinks was used by defendant Nathaniel Rowland to kill Samantha Josephson during closing arguments in Rowland's trial on Tuesday in Richland County Circuit Court in Columbia. Rowland was convicted Tuesday for the 2019 abduction and murder of the 21-year-old college student, who mistook his car for her Uber ride.
Man gets life for killing woman who mistook his car for Uber COLUMBIA (AP) — A South Carolina man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for the 2019 abduction and murder of a 21-year-old college student who mistook his car for her Uber ride.The jury …

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Obituaries
MAGGIE DAVIS LEWIS

Maggie Davis Lewis died on Monday, July 26, 2021, in Brooklyn, New York. She was born in Sumter County. In accordance with COVID-19 guidelines, the family is requesting no visitation at the home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be …

HELEN WILLIAMS

Helen Williams, 70, died on Wednesday, July 28, 2021, in Bronx, New York. Born on Dec. 2, 1950, in Sumter County, she was a daughter of John Wesley and Evelina Miller Williams. In accordance with COVID-19 guidelines, the family requests that …

WILLIE ENGLISH

On Saturday morning, July 24, 2021, Willie "Pic" English, our beloved father, passed away peacefully at his home. Willie was born on Jan. 20, 1933, in Sumter County. He was a son of the late Laura and William English Jr. of Rembert and Janie …

DAISY BELL GRANT WHEELER

Daisy Bell Grant Wheeler, 83, departed this life on Monday, July 26, 2021, at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital in Sumter. She was born on Aug. 31, 1937, in Sumter County, a daughter of the late Emmic and Cornelia Holmes Grant. Funeral services …

MARGARET A. STUBBS

Margaret A. "Peggy" Stubbs, age 69, died on Saturday, July 24, 2021, at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital. Born on Oct. 30, 1951, in Sumter, she was a daughter of the late Julius Alfred Stubbs and Mildred Middleton Stubbs. Surviving are one …

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Faith
Students at a Presbyterian boarding school in Sitka, Alaska, are seen in the summer of 1883. U.S. Catholic and Protestant denominations operated more than 150 boarding schools between the 19th and 20th centuries. Native American and Alaskan Native children were regularly severed from their tribal families, customs, language and religion and brought to the schools in a push to assimilate and Christianize them.
U.S. churches reckon with traumatic legacy of Native schools The discoveries of hundreds of unmarked graves at former residential schools for Indigenous children in Canada have prompted renewed calls for a reckoning over the traumatic legacy of similar schools in the United States - and in particular by the …
Church News: Friday, July 23, 2021 Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 211 Alice Drive, announces: * Saturday - "Last Generation," a popular Sumter men's gospel quartet, will perform at 6:30 p.m. in the church fellowship hall. The group has been singing together for more than 30 …
SMITH
Column by Sumter Pastor Clay Smith: Jesus does not fit in a box I first remember meeting Jesus in preschool Sunday School, where my Aunt Faye showed us a picture of a kind man with beautiful hair and brown eyes. She told us the most amazing stories: how he walked on water, healed a blind man and rose from the …
DURHAM
Column by Sumter Pastor Joey Durham: Every good, perfect gift is from God Thank you so much for spending a portion of your day with Gleanings from the Open Bible Baptist Church. I want us to consider a thought that the Lord has laid upon my heart titled "The God Who Is Still Giving." In James 1:17, we read these words …
Celebrations
MR., MRS. KENNETH L. BENJAMIN
Benjamins celebrate 50 years of marriage Kenneth L. and Dianne R. Benjamin of Sumter will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Sunday, July 25, 2021. A family cruise will be taken in the summer of 2022 in their honor.The couple has …

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Dear Abby
Pets for adoption
Sumter Animal Control's Tillie is a spunky ball of cuteness

BELOW: This little fur ball of cuteness is Tillie. She is a 6-week-old female tortoiseshell kitten. Tillie is a spunky little girl and loves all kinds of kitten toys. She started out shy and a bit skittish but is now quite comfortable living the …

Weddings
MR. AND MRS. THOMAS A. SPEIDEL
Beaty-Speidel CHARLESTON - Mary Elizabeth Beaty of Sumter and Thomas Anthony Speidel of Athens, Greece, were united in marriage at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 12, 2021, at Redeemer Presbyterian Church. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Wesley Beaty and …
MRS. BRANDON GRANGER
Vise-Granger Rachel Vise and Brandon Granger, both of Sumter, were united in marriage at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 1, 2021, at Sans Souci Farms in Sumter. The bride is the daughter of Mr. Johnny Vise and Mrs. Barbara Watson Vise, both of Sumter, and the …

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Engagements
MISS WILSON
Wilson-Chestnut Mr. and Mrs. John Joe Wilson Jr. of Manning announce the engagement of their daughter, Celia Burgess Wilson of Manning, to Mr. Hunter Tyson Chestnut of Conway, son of Mr. and Mrs. Homer Tyson Chestnut Jr. of Conway. The bride-elect is the …
Unhoch- Maccauley Mark Katz of Sumter and Loretta Burkholder of Wytheville, Virginia, announce the engagement of their daughter, Helena Unhoch, to Stephen Maccauley of Mineral, Virginia, son of Richard Maccauley of Louisa, Virginia, and Alvena Tierney of St. …
MISS TESENIAR, DR. DECKER
Teseniar-Decker Mr. and Mrs. Mark Teseniar of Charleston, formerly of Sumter, announce the engagement of their daughter, Laila Teseniar of Charleston, to Dr. James Decker of Charleston, son of Dr. and Mrs. James Decker of Charleston. The bride-elect is the …
MISS SCHALLER, MR. WILLIAMS
Schaller-Williams Mr. and Mrs. Phillip C. Schaller I of Sumter announce the engagement of their daughter, Olivia Jade Schaller of Sumter, to Dakota Colt Williams of Hampton, Tennessee, son of Ms. Angela M. Williams and the late Mr. Ernest "Mike" M. Williams of …
Reflections
Lincoln High School's entrance is seen in 1935. The school was established in 1874 for Sumter's Black students.

Reflections by Sammy Way: The establishment of Lincoln High School

Reflections revisits the organization and building of Sumter's initial Black high school. Information for this two-part article of the building of Lincoln High School was obtained from The Sumter Item archives; Mrs. Ruth Edens' The History of the …

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Yesteryear
The students at Clemson University at Sumter distributed Sightsavers in September 1971. Known as "Candy Day," the campaign raised money for the benefit of the blind and eye conservation. All money received remained in Sumter and was used to provide eyeglasses and eye examinations for young children in the community. Here, students Jeremy Bauer and Bonny Briggs try their luck with motorist Roger Cheek.
Yesteryear by Sammy Way: Pro archers in Sumter for tournament; Shaw gets 18 new F-16 jets 75 YEARS AGO -1947 Dec. 31 - Jan. 6 - Dr. John M. Wells, 76, pastor emeritus of Sumter Presbyterian Church, died at the Tuomey hospital from a heart attack. He was born July 16, 1870, in Hinds County, Mississippi, and came to Sumter in 1924 as …
Debra Geddings, 10, and her younger brother Marvin, 6, prepare to wheel off to school with books and bags and memories of a fun-filled summer on Aug. 30, 1971. Debra was a fifth-grade student at Willow Drive Elementary School and Marvin a first-grader at Willow Drive. They are the children of Mrs. Tommy Geddings.
Yesteryear by Sammy Way: Daredevil driving at Sumter Speedway; chanting helps Manning team win 75 YEARS AGO - 1946 Dec. 24 - 31 - A letter to the editor: Chairman McKnight has asked for an expression of opinion whether or not the County of Sumter and the City of Sumter should give to the Federal Government Shaw Field. I think we should. …
Mini-parks receive their third judging by, from left, Mrs. Counts, Mrs. Schiffley and Mrs. Epps on Aug. 25, 1971. Mrs. Cain, right, served as one of the pages for the judges.
Yesteryear by Sammy Way: Art Gallery demonstrates Egyptian painting technique; China natives get approval to become American citizens 75 YEARS AGO - 1946 Dec. 17 - 23 - Sumter's famous National Guard artillery unit which saw continuous service in Africa, Sicily and Italy during the recent war is now ready to reorganize. The unit here has been redesignated Battery "C" 248th …

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From the opinion pages
Columnists
 Editorial cartoon: Thursday, July 29, 2021
PATRICK BUCHANAN
Opinion: Why the left can't let go of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol
Sumter Pastor Joey Durham: The Word of God can be trusted
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