1 year in, what exactly did The Item Impact do?

Journalists are told to avoid writing cliches. But, when we came up with the name for this free monthly paper, we couldn't help ourselves.

Our mission in its inception was, quite literally, to make an impact in the community. To dive deeper.

The Item Impact was born from a want to strengthen bonds, inform readers and paint a fuller picture of what Sumter really is. To get into all its nooks and crannies. Yes, to be more informed. But also to maybe even learn something fascinating, to come away thinking, I didn't realize that about this person or place. To, say it with me, feel impacted by what you read.

Like flipping the plastic pages of a childhood photo album (how many of you even get that reference anymore?), let's review year one of The Item Impact.

249 STORIES STRAIGHT

TO YOUR MAILBOX

We published 249 articles in the first 12 months of The Item Impact.

The beginning of the paper usually includes topic-specific roundups so that if you don't go to elected boards' public meetings, and even if you don't subscribe to The Sumter Item's main paper, you'll have the basics so you can either make decisions from there or know what you want to look into further.

Government roundups have ranged from summaries of future projects to discussions of preserving historic buildings. There were 28 articles on local election topics.

Deirdre Currin, our government and general Sumter reporter, said her favorite stories in the first year were on Palmetto Tennis Center's free-to-play, ability-inclusive Thrive program and on Hidden Wounds, a Sumter resource center for veterans by veterans.

Education reporter Bruce Mills, like Currin on her beat, is at every school board meeting to bring you updates and context without having to weed through agendas and streams. He covered everything from new board priorities post-election and new technology being used in schools to the year's valedictorians and expansions at Liberty STEAM Charter.

Mills said his favorite stories from the last year were two spotlights that ran in our series called Sumter Classics, where we highlighted eight locally owned businesses that are well-established in Sumter. His nods were A Ring Around the Roses florist shop for our Valentine's Day edition and Yucatan Mexican Restaurant celebrating 25 years.

Speaking of food, if you read every edition of Impact in its first year, you'll have read about 23 restaurants in Sumter, everything from icons like Guignard Diner and Sylvia Jo's to new ventures like Tin Lizzy's and guides like how to make the most of your strawberries from Dorr Farms and where to eat downtown.

Impact also has informational articles, from a monthly list of events and things to do to explainers on how to attend public meetings, apply for a business license in the city or file a Freedom of Information Act request. We regularly tell you how to get involved, from spotlights on nonprofits to arts and entertainment groups, from support groups to summer programming both for children and older adults.

Speaking of arts and entertainment, Alaysha Maple covers that beat along with public safety. She wrote a four-part Get to Know series where she highlighted people in county or city law enforcement, from a captain in civil services to a senior victims advocate. On the arts side, you may have read about ArtFields, a Double Dutch competition or the new South Sumter Art Park.

Her favorite stories were a feature on Sumter Opera House's theater services coordinator's journey "from the ranch to the opera house" and a feature on a grandmother's mission to spread awareness of maternal mortality.

And a picture of Sumter isn't complete without its sports. Impact is where Tim Leible can go beyond the scores and the season du jour. The 28 sports stories he wrote in Impact year one ranged from community programs that are bringing youth together to spotlights on retired players inspiring the next generation and checkups on alumni performing at the college and professional level.

His favorites were about Sumter High School's girls basketball coach Jeff Schaffer and his impact on the state champion team and looking back on the career, life and legacy of coach Mickey Moss.

There was plenty more, too, in these pages, including 12 visual stories, most of them about Shaw Air Force Base. As we embark on our second year of The Item Impact, our mission remains the same. To bring you information and storytelling you need and want to know, stories you won't find anywhere else. To tell the stories of Sumter.

If there's something you'd like us to cover, you can always email an individual reporter or pressrelease@theitem.com.