Lee prison nurse arrested after contraband found BY ADRIENNE SARVIS ville, was arrested facility on Wisacky Highway on [email protected] after two men’s Tuesday, and the tobacco was watches were found found during a subsequent search. South Carolina Department of on her person and two The tobacco wrapped in condoms Corrections Police Services has packages of tobacco is consistent with known methods FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 2018 75 CENTS charged another corrections facili- wrapped in condoms used to smuggle in contraband, ac- SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 ty employee, this time at Lee Cor- MONTGOMERY were found inside her cording to the warrant. rectional Institution, for allegedly vehicle that was Montgomery is charged with at- bringing contraband into the state parked on SCDC prop- tempting to furnish a prisoner with 3 SECTIONS, 28 PAGES | VOL. 123, NO. 165 prison on Tuesday. erty, according to an arrest war- contraband. Patricia M. Montgomery, former rant. She was held at Sumter-Lee BEST OF SUMTER head nurse administrator at Lee The watches were found during a Correctional Institution in Bishop- routine search as she entered the SEE ARREST, PAGE A13 Celebrating a couple months off school Children kick off their first afternoon of summer vacation by splashing in the spray park at North HOPE Park on Thursday afternoon. PHOTOS BY ADRIENNE SARVIS / THE SUMTER ITEM Item’s 1st winners celebration held downtown See photos from red carpet event that recognized 264 chosen in contest A5 CLARENDON SUN Buddy Benches help teach kids to reach out to others A7 DEATHS, B6 Leroy Wilder Roger Durant Mary Ellen Coleman King Lee J. Nesbitt Thelma Brown Brayboy Mary Lee Abraham Jackson Jenester Reddick Bolden Eva Mae Burch Woodrow Washington WEATHER, A14 Lakewood grad soars despite hardships WHERE’S THE RAIN? BY ADRIENNE SARVIS drowned after falling off a large Very warm with clouds and sun; partly [email protected] inner tube while playing with two cloudy and humid tonight friends in Lake Marion. His two HIGH 90, LOW 70 A Lakewood High School senior friends were rescued during the in- showed that his will to do well in cident. school is much stronger than his The Boozer scholarship is awarded reading disability after he received once a year to a minority Lakewood INSIDE CONTACT US more than nine recognitions, in- senior based on academic achieve- Classifieds B7 Info: 774-1200 cluding six scholarships, during ments. Students who apply for the Comics C6 Advertising: 774-1237 Class Day on Wednesday. scholarship must also write an essay Opinion A12 Classifieds: 774-1200 One of those scholarships, the Jo- and complete an interview to be con- Television C4 Delivery: 774-1258 seph Boozer Scholarship offered by sidered, which Item staff conduct USA Today C1 News and Sports: the Osteen family who own The and decide who will be awarded. 774-1226 Sumter Item, was given to Justin This year’s scholarship was award- Johnson, 19, for graduating as one ed to Johnson, who displayed a simi- of the top in his class despite hav- lar academic prowess as Joseph ing dyslexia. Boozer, a student known for his hard VISIT US ONLINE AT the .com The $500 scholarship was started work in athletics and academics. ADRIENNE SARVIS / THE SUMTER ITEM by the Osteens after the 1988 “I have a very hard time reading Clara Clayborne, sister of Joseph drowning death of Joseph Boozer, quickly,” Johnson said, “but that Boozer, stands with Lakewood High 15, the son of a longtime employee. has not deterred me from reading.” School senior Justin Johnson, 19, Boozer, a 10th-grade student at after Class Day on Wednesday. the former Furman High School, SEE JOHNSON, PAGE A13 Clemson’s ‘Making It Grow’ gardening show crew wins 4 Telly Awards for 2018 BY DENISE ATTAWAY four prestigious show’s crew. Public Service and Agriculture Telly Awards this “Our most im- year, bringing the portant mission is SUMTER — The Emmy total Telly Awards to help people use Award-winning “Making It for the show to 19 environmentally Grow” gardening show has since 2000. sustainable meth- more Telly Awards to add to The live, inter- ods and still be FLYNN McNULTY its slate of accolades. active “Making It successful in Clemson University Cooper- Grow” show is growing plants,” ative Extension Service’s produced by South Carolina McNulty said. “To do that, we Amanda McNulty, Sean Flynn ETV and Clemson University. emphasize identifying the and the rest of the crew of McNulty said winning these CLEMSON PUBLIC SERVICE AND AGRICULTURE “Making It Grow” received awards is an honor for the SEE AWARDS, PAGE A13 Clemson’s “Making It Grow” TV show won four 2018 Telly Awards. A2 | FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] United Way program director recognized Sumter’s Melanie Dees leads Diamonds to prevent adolescent pregnancy BY KAYLA ROBINS years of her life to serving the com- science-based curriculum to youth [email protected] munity, said Megan Ray, marketing/ ages 12 to 19 years old through part- communications specialist for United nerships with schools, churches and A statewide organization that Way of Sumter, Clarendon and Lee community organizations. We dis- works to prevent teen pregnancy Counties. She helps others and brings courage premature sexual experi- awarded a Sumter County program out the best in people through "work, mentation, STDs, unplanned preg- director its most distinguished volunteer endeavors and the church." nancies and repeat pregnancies in award. SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Preg- youth. We promote positive self-es- Melanie Dees, program director at nancy honored her at its summer in- teem and community service, while United Way Diamonds, received the stitute. teaching goal-setting, decision-mak- Murray L. Vincent Outstanding Pre- There has been a 56 percent decline ing and problem-solving skills." vention Professional Award from the in teenage pregnancy in Sumter She said Dees understands what it SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Preg- County since United Way Diamonds means to serve and that she contin- nancy. The award, named in memory began in 2000. ues to do so after having retired from of Dr. Murray Vincent, recognizes "Our Diamonds program is a com- the U.S. Air Force. someone who has "significantly im- prehensive, age-appropriate absti- "She is devoted to making our com- pacted the prevention of adolescent nence-based teen pregnancy preven- munity better by focusing on our pregnancy in South Carolina while tion and reproductive health educa- youth," Ray said. "She gives countless exemplifying the characteristics of tion initiative of United Way of Sum- hours to ensure our youth strive to the award's namesake." ter, Clarendon and Lee Counties," be the best and to reduce teen preg- Dees has committed more than 15 Ray said. "We provide an interactive, nancy rates in our area." MELANIE DEES Study says vaping by kids isn’t up, but some are skeptical are plans to add questions CDC official: Some under-estimation is about Juul, but those likely won't appear until next year's possible in regard to Juul e-cigarettes survey. Similar plans are being NEW YORK (AP) — Vaping but health officials have made for an annual University held steady last year in high warned nicotine is harmful to of Michigan survey of adoles- school students and declined in developing brains. cent tobacco use, said Richard middle school kids, according The new CDC study is based Miech, who leads that study. to new government data, but on a questionnaire filled out Because kids currently aren't some researchers are skeptical annually by roughly 20,000 stu- being asked about Juul specifi- because the survey may have dents in grades 6 through 12. cally, researchers can't say for missed out on a booming e-cig- The study focused on "current sure if vaping is increasing or arette brand. users" — defined as kids who decreasing, he said. The Centers for Disease Con- said they had used a tobacco Juul e-cigarettes first went trol and Prevention survey did product in the previous 30 on sale in 2015. They look like not specifically ask about Juul days. computer flash drives, can be e-cigarettes, and research sug- The CDC survey, and others, recharged in computer USB THE ASSOCIATED PRESS gests some kids don't equate have shown a general decline A Massachusetts high school principal displays vaping devices that ports and have prefilled car- the trendy devices with other in the use of tobacco products. were confiscated from students. tridges containing nicotine. types of e-cigarettes. But the level of vaping They also offer kid-friendly fla- Given that omission and the soared until 2016, when there vors like fruit and creme bru- skyrocketing sales of Juul last was a puzzling and dramatic vaping was at about the same Among middle schoolers, lee, and teens can smoke them year, the survey may be miss- drop, from 16 percent to 11 per- level last year as it was in 2016, about 1 in 30 said last year that discreetly, even in class. ing a big part of what's going cent of high school students. about 11 percent. That trans- they had recently vaped. That Last year, Juul became the on, said Jidong Huang, a Geor- That translated to a decline in lates to about 1 in 9 students, was a decrease from the year top-selling e-cigarette brand, gia State University research- teen vapers from 3 million to meaning it continued to be the before, when the figure was with more than $650 million in er. 2.2 million in just one year.