Happening Now
James Green boxes up fried fish with Perry Molten at the South Sumter Park Memorial Day fish fry. Due to the pandemic, the event was modified to a drive through in its 11th year.
Memorial Day program, South Sumter fish fry will be held this year
Sumter's first Chipotle is being constructed on Broad Street in front of TJ Maxx and will feature drive-through and walk-in service.
Chipotle, Burlington to open this summer in Sumter
The suspect who struck and killed a bicyclist on Monday is thought to be driving a burgundy or dark red 2009-2014 Ford Mustang. The vehicle may possibly have an aftermarket Raptor grille.
S.C. Highway Patrol searching for Ford Mustang thought to be involved in hit-and-run incident that killed Dalzell man
Voting opens on Monday for May's Morris College Counselor of the Month
GRAZIANO
Videos show detail of death of inmate at South Carolina jail

Sacrifice and success: U.S. Army Central at Shaw holds its 1st retirement ceremony since COVID-19 pandemic

Sgt. Maj. Rebeca Kennedy receives a hug from her husband at her retirement ceremony at U.S. Army Central at Shaw Air Force Base on Friday.
The military is full of sacrifices when it comes to one's life, family and country. To enlist and make a career out of it all the way through can be an even heavier weight that deserves to be celebrated as a milestone. It has been more than a …
Campus corner for May 15, 2021: Students in Sumter, Lee and Clarendon counties
Wilson Hall students recognized for artistic talents
KAYLA GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEMDebra Barber, aerospace engineering instructor at the Sumter Career and Technology Center, reacts tp finding out AFA Swamp Fox Chapter 298 funded the total grant she applied for to purchase five flight simulators after only receiving part of her request from the national organization.
Retired Air Force members fulfill unmet grant to fund Sumter teacher’s aerospace engineering curriculum

Saturday-Monday, May 15-17, 2021

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Studio Sumter

Sumter Today: Sumter’s HYPE Program connects with kids after school

The HYPE After School Program is designed to meet needs of students after school by providing a safe, secure and loving environment for study, character development and team building at nine …

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SPORTS
Lakewood's Hunter Hoff is expected to start as the Gators host Gilbert to open the SCHSL 3A playoffs on Saturday.
Lakewood, East Clarendon baseball, softball teams open playoffs Saturday
The Sumter Braves won the Shipyard Charleston Tournament May 1-2. Members of the team are, front, Cade Mooneyham. First row, left to right: Connor Carter, Jack Gordon, Joey Hatchell, Zy Dennis, Drake Price and Larry Johnson. Second row: Coach Joseph Hatchell, Peyton Gilley, head coach Daniel Gordon, JE Rowe, Scoop Dennis and coach Elliott Rowe.
Sumter Braves win tournament
The Wilson Hall softball team celebrates winning the SCISA 3A state championship with a 14-4 win over Cardinal Newman on Thursday at Camden High School.
Wilson Hall wins SCISA 3A softball title with 14-4 rout of Cardinal Newman
USC one of 20 possibilities to be baseball regional site
Former Crestwood star and current Memphis guard Ja Morant (12) shoots against Sacramento Kings guard Justin James (10) during the Grizzlies' 116-110 win on Thursday in Memphis, Tennessee.
Morant scores 12 as Grizzlies outlast Kings for 116-110 win
Poll of the Week

Cathy Kersten, a first grade teacher at Manchester Elementary School, works with students in the classroom on a hybrid day.

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More local news
Sumter School District named its 2021-22 campus teachers of the year and also the three finalists for district teacher of the year on Wednesday at its Celebration of Excellence event at Crestwood High School. The three finalists for district teacher of the year are, from left, Meghan Walters of Wilder Elementary, Thomas Slater of Chestnut Oaks Middle and Deana Rennick of Sumter High.
Twice as nice: Given no 2020 ceremony, Sumter School District honors current, new Teachers of the Year at Celebration of Excellence
Vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are prepared at Manning High School.
Prisma Health in Sumter, CVS offering Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to ages 12 and up
PHOTO PROVIDED Jessica Weinberg, left, was named the 2021 McLeod Health Clarendon Registered Nurse of the Year, and Yvonne McFadden was named the 2021 Emergency Department Support Person of the Year.
McLeod Health Clarendon honors Nurses of the Year
KAREEM WILSON / THE SUMTER ITEMClarendon County councilmember, the Rev. W.J. Frierson, answers residents' questions about the waste service fee after the county meeting on Monday, May 10.
Clarendon County Council amends waste disposal fee ordinance
COKER
Petition to rename field after Coach Coker to be presented at Clarendon School District 2 Board meeting May 18

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More Sports
Lakewood's Morgan Christmas had a single and scored a run during the Lady Gators' 14-2 loss to Gilbert on Saturday in Gilbert.
Lakewood softball drops playoff opener to Gilbert 14-2, to face Oceanside Collegiate in elimination game Monday
East Clarendon's Katie Lee was 2-2 with a double and two RBI in the Lady Wolverines' 21-0 win over Lowcountry Leadership on Saturday.
East Clarendon dominates Lowcountry Leadership with 21-0 3-inning win in playoff opener
East Clarendon's Raulston McKenzie slides into second base for a steal during the Wolverines' 10-0 win over Charleston Math & Science on Saturday at Shad Hall Field. McKenzie would go on to score as the throw soared into center field.
East Clarendon baseball rolls past Charleston Math & Science 10-0 in playoff opener
Lakewood's Hunter Hoff delivers a pitch during the Gator's 11-1 loss to Gilbert to open the SCISA 3A playoffs on Saturday at The Swamp.
Lakewood baseball falls to Gilbert 11-1 in playoff opener, to face Aynor in elimination game Monday
pHOTOS BY: MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM The Wilson Hall softball team celebrates winning the SCISA 3A state championship with a 14-4 win over Cardinal Newman on Thursday at Camden High School.
Wilson Hall wins SCISA 3A state title with 14-4 rout of Cardinal Newman

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Panorama
KNOPF VIA THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThis combination of cover images shows "Birds of North America," left, and "Trees of North America" by the National Audubon Society.

Updated field guides, other titles lure readers outdoors

The new season of shows has begun, and viewership is way up by all accounts. We're not talking about screens, which we've all been glued to during the pandemic. Less noticed is another trend: people tuning in to nature for quieter, real-life, …

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Nation & World
Visitors look from the observation platform at the Flight 93 National Memorial under a cloudy sky.
Flight 93 families hope heroism award helps keep story alive

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Serene, stark and seemingly in the middle of nowhere in Pennsylvania, the National Park Service memorial to the people who died on United Airlines Flight 93 is hard to find on a map - as the Sept, 11, 2001, terrorist attack itself …

Ireland's health service shut down after 'serious' ransomware attack LONDON (AP) - Ireland's health service shut down its IT systems on Friday after being targeted in a ransomware attack by what it called "international criminals." Appointments and elective surgeries were canceled at several hospitals and Deputy …
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Colorado State Patrol Trooper Josh Lewis races at Bandimere Speedway west of Denver on May 5. The State Patrol runs a program called "Take It to the Track" in hopes of luring racers away from public areas to a safer and more controlled environment. The program's goals have gained new importance and urgency this year as illegal street racing has increased amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Street racing surges across U.S., with deadly consequences Jaye Sanford, a 52-year-old mother of two, was driving home in suburban Atlanta on Nov. 21 when a man in a Dodge Challenger muscle car who was allegedly street racing crashed into her head-on, killing her. She is one of the many victims of a …
The unwitting are the target of COVID-19 falsehoods online Dr. Michelle Rockwell lost a pregnancy in December and shared her heartache with her 30,000 Instagram followers. Weeks later, she received the COVID-19 vaccine and posted about that, too. By February, Rockwell was getting past the grief and …
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
House panel reaches agreement on bipartisan Jan. 6 commission WASHINGTON (AP) - The top Democratic and Republican members of the House Homeland Security Committee have reached an agreement on legislation to form a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The measure had …

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State News
South Carolina lawmakers end formal session, will return soon

COLUMBIA - South Carolina's Legislature ended its regular session on Thursday, ceremonially wrapping up its duties but expecting at least several returns later in the year to handle more work, including how to spend federal funding related to the …

S.C. elections director to resign at end of year COLUMBIA (AP) - The executive director of the South Carolina Election Commission will leave her post at the end of the year after overseeing the state's ballot box process for nearly two decades, she wrote in her resignation letter. Marci Andino …
Bill allowing open carry with permit heads to S.C. Gov. McMaster's desk
COLUMBIA (AP) - A South Carolina bill letting people with concealed weapons permits carry their guns in the open is heading to Gov. Henry McMaster's desk. The House approved the bill 83-34 Wednesday, signing off on changes made by the Senate to …
This March 2019, file photo, provided by the South Carolina Department of Corrections shows the state's electric chair in Columbia.
Firing squad bill headed to South Carolina governor's desk COLUMBIA (AP) — Legislation adding a firing squad to South Carolina's execution methods amid a lack of lethal-injection drugs is headed to the desk of Gov. Henry McMaster.On a routine vote …
Bill allowing open carry with permit heads to S.C. Gov. McMaster's desk
COLUMBIA (AP) — A South Carolina bill letting people with concealed weapons permits carry their guns in the open is heading to Gov. Henry McMaster's desk.The House approved the bill 83-34 …

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Obituaries
MARY WACTOR

Mary Wactor, 56, died on Friday, May 14, 2021, at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital. Born on Jan. 6, 1965, in Sumter, she was a daughter of Joseph and Rosa Lee Jenkins Wactor. In accordance with COVID-19 guidelines, the family requests that face …

JOSEPH JOHN VASURA

Joseph John Vasura, 83, husband of 22 years of Vivian Margaret Vasura, died on Thursday, May 13, 2021, at The Magnolias of Santee. Born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, he was a son of the late Joseph Francis Vasura and Anna Mae Tobin Vasura. Mr. …

ALBERT LEROY WILLIAMS

Albert Leroy Williams, 57, was born on Aug. 5, 1963, in Sumter, a son of John and Rebecca Grant Williams. He departed this life on Thursday, May 13, 2021, at C.M. Tucker Nursing Care Center in Columbia. Public viewing will be held from 2 to 6 …

BETTIE J. WILDER LOGAN

PINEWOOD - Bettie J. Wilder Logan, 58, wife of William Logan Jr., died on Wednesday, May 12, 2021, at McLeod Health Clarendon, Manning. She was born on May 17, 1962, in Sumter, a daughter of the late Melvin Sr. and Estelle Conyers Wilder. The …

SHEILA E. "BETSY" WATTS

GABLE - Sheila E. "Betsy" Watts, 56, died on Wednesday, May 12, 2021, at McLeod Health Clarendon in Manning. Born on June 17, 1964, in Sumter, she was a daughter of the late Warren Othel Watts and Mary Lou Robinson Watts. Ms. Watts was a member …

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Faith
SMITH
The Rev. Dr. Clay Smith of Alice Drive Baptist Church: Every rug has a home ... We decided to get a new rug for our breakfast room. I admit I was barely aware we had a breakfast room. But I knew I had agreed we needed a new table, and that meant we needed a new rug. Funny how these things interlock. There is a store in …
Church News: Friday, May 14, 2021 Hopewell Baptist Church, 3285 Peach Orchard Road, Dalzell, announces: * Sunday, May 23 - The 145th church anniversary will be celebrated during the 10 a.m. worship service via Zoom, ID: 316 292 5678, and on the church Facebook …
For some pastors, the past year was too much to bear Jeff Weddle, a 46-year-old, wise-cracking, self-deprecating, Bible-loving, self-described "failing pastor" from Wisconsin, was already thinking of leaving the ministry before COVID-19 and the 2020 election. He was, as he put it, fed up with …
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN
2 Catholic bishops at odds over Biden receiving Communion They share Roman Catholicism as a faith and California as their home base. Yet there's a deep gulf between Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco and Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego in …
Celebrations
Mr. and Mrs. Benny Hodge Jr.
Hodges of Sumter celebrate 65 years of marriage Mr. and Mrs. Benny Hodge Jr. of Sumter will celebrate 65 years of marriage on March 24, 2021. The couple has one daughter, Cindy Hodge Timmons, who passed away in 2015. The couple has two grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Mrs. Hodge …
MR., MRS. GARY HALL
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Hall of Sumter celebrate 60 years of marriage Mr. and Mrs. Gary Hall, of Sumter, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. They were married on Feb. 25, 1961. The couple's two children are Randy Hall of McDonough, Georgia, and Michelle Cipov of Sumter. The …

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Dear Abby
Pets for adoption
Sumter SPCA's Harley is a playful, loving, wonderful girl

FAR LEFT: Harley is a housebroken and spayed 6-year-old brindle-and-white pit mix. She is wonderful with children and some other dogs. Harley has been waiting at the SPCA since August of 2020 and is our second longest resident awaiting a forever …

Weddings
MRS. RAYMOND BRADLEY DAVIS
Wilson-Davis ALCOLU - Olivia Dean Wilson and Raymond Bradley Davis were united in marriage at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 6, 2021, at New Harmony Presbyterian Church. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Joe Wilson Jr. of Manning and the granddaughter of …
MR., MRS. HERVEY FRIERSON
Hodge-Frierson Faith Hodge and Hervey Richardson Frierson were married on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021, at the home of the couple in Sumter. The bride is the daughter of the late Mr. Judge Thomas Hodge and the late Mrs. Noonie Lee Frierson Hodge. The bridegroom is …
MR., MRS. SAMUEL L. JOHNSON
Curtis-Johnson LENOIR, North Carolina - Sara Suzanne Curtis of Lenoir, North Carolina, and Samuel Lawrence Johnson of Sumter were united in marriage at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, at Yadkin Valley Baptist Church. The bride is the daughter of Jeff and …

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Engagements
MR. MAGEE, MISS GOLDEN
Golden-MaGee Ida Lee Golden and Alphonso Douglas Golden, both of Sumter, announce the engagement of their daughter, Allicia Marie Golden of Durham, North Carolina, to Derrick Magee, also of Durham, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Magee of Jackson, …
MISS ALLAN
Allan-Miles Mr. and Mrs. Troy William Allan of Summerton announce the engagement of their daughter, Morgan Addison Allan of Summerton, to Mason Hunter Miles of Manning, son of Ms. Stacy Leigh Mosier and Mr. Laurence Wade Andrew McLeod, both of Manning. The …
Reflections
Henry C. Wallace and Norma Talmadge were two victims of the summer golf bug in August 1921. The site for Sumter's first country club was chosen that year. This photo was published in the Watchman & Southron.

Reflections by Sammy Way: Golf is introduced to Sumter community

Reflections begins a two-part report on the establishing of Sumter's initial country club and the introduction of the sport of golf to the city of Sumter. Research reveals the individuals who played an important role in making a country club a …

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Yesteryear
Signing the lease for play areas for Sumter youth on July 1, 1971, is Mrs. J. E. Logan; she is watched by Harold Moise, seated, who also leased land to the city for one of the new playgrounds, which was to be equipped by the Junior Welfare League. Standing are Sim P. Wright, director of the city parks and recreation department, and Mrs. Wendell Levi Jr. of the league.
Yesteryear by Sammy Way: Girl Scouts want bright yarn for veterans' afghan; 'Fresh Peach Week' designated 75 YEARS AGO - 1946 Oct. 22 - 28 - Everything points to a successful fair this year. Already several outstanding herds of cattle and hogs from various sections of the state are scheduled to be here for exhibition. Among those we are expecting …
Chappelle James, who farms in the Rimini section of Sumter County, holds the first cotton blossom of the season picked on his land June 18, 1971.
Yesteryear by Sammy Way: Cotton picker demonstrated; Sumter runners take part in breaking record 75 YEARS AGO - 1946 Oct. 15 - 21 - Workers in the 1946 Community Chest campaign set out this morning hopeful of quickly reaching the quota of $43,200. More than 250 of the men and women taking part in the drive enjoyed a delicious barbecue …
SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO Three East Clarendon educators at a Clemson University workshop learn how a cemetery can be used to teach history, arithmetic and science on June 13, 1971. Making crayon rubbings from a tombstone at historic Old Stone Church are, kneeling, Charles McFadden, mathematics teacher, East Clarendon High School; and standing from left Ruby L. Johnson, social studies, East Clarendon Elementary; Martin Hutto, agriculture, East Clarendon High; and Professor Sara Walker, workshop di
Summer camp officially named Camp Logan; Palmetto Trail building continues 75 YEARS AGO - 1946 Oct. 8 - 14 - The 20th Fighter group, accompanied by an air service squadron, is expected to arrive at Shaw Field from Briggs Field, Texas, in the next two weeks, Col. T.W. Blackburn, Shaw Field commanding officer, said. …

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From the opinion pages
Columnists
BARONE
Opinion: British Labour's problems could hurt Democrats
Editorial cartoon: Friday, May 14, 2021
PARKER
Opinion: Birth dearth about values, not economics
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