LOCAL: Happy New Year! Troopers want you to drive safely A2 SPORTS Clemson wins 30-3, heads for SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 title game B1 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2018 $1.75 FROM STAFF REPORTS nother year is in the A books. The year that was 2018 was not short in the TopTo p headline department. From worldwide and national news to local happenings, from contro- versy to heartwarming stories, from the voting booth to the news classroom, you have tuned in to see developments impacting your neighborhood and your country. To review the end of this year, we’re from re-visiting the 10 local stories that our Sumter community read the most on- line at TheItem.com. Today, we’re giving you Nos. 5-1. No. 10-6 were published in Friday’s paper. 5. SUMTER PARENT CHARGED FOR ASSAULTING DAUGHTER’S 7-YEAR-OLD CLASSMATE, TWO TEACHERS OVER THROWN PENCILS Friday, March 9 BY ADRIENNE SARVIS [email protected] A mother has been charged with three counts of assault after she alleg- 2 edly slapped a 7-year-old girl in the face and pushed two Sumter School District teachers at her daughter’s elementary 0 school on Wednesday. Cheneathia Caesar, 29, reportedly ap- proached the 7-year-old sometime after 7:30 a.m. at Kingsbury Elementary School off Lewis Road after hearing she threw pencils at her 8-year-old daughter the day before, according to Tonyia Mc- Girt, public information officer for the Sumter Police Department. The assistant principal said she heard Caesar yelling at the 7-year-old and tell- ing her own daughter to hit the victim, according to the report. She then saw teachers try to intervene before the child was slapped on the right side of her face. Two teachers attempted to keep Caesar from the child, but one was grabbed by the arm and pushed away, and the other was pushed to the ground. 1 An off-duty officer then detained Cae- sar, who said she came to the elementa- ry school to stand up for her daughter 8 who had been bullied the day before. Caesar, of East Newberry Avenue, ad- mitted to striking the child in the inci- dent report and is charged with three counts of third-degree assault and bat- Part II: What were the 10 tery and one count of disturbing schools. She was booked at Sumter-Lee Re- gional Detention Center. most-read local articles online? 4. 9-YEAR-OLD BOY DROWNS AT POCALLA SWAMP Thursday, Sept. 13 BY ADRIENNE SARVIS [email protected] A Sumter family is grieving after a child drowned while playing with friends at Pocalla Swamp off Burkett Drive on Wednesday afternoon. SEE TOP 10, PAGE A7 Sumter’s Kmart will close in March Liquidation sales expected to begin in January, parent company says BY BRUCE MILLS A management-level employee The local Kmart, 1143 Broad St., [email protected] with Sumter’s Kmart — who asked is the only South Carolina-based to not be identified by The Sumter store in the newest closure an- In a sign of the times for brick- Item — said Saturday morning that nouncement. BRUCE MILLS / THE SUMTER ITEM and-mortar retail department store employees were informed of According to a Sears Holdings A car leaves the Kmart parking lot, 1143 Broad St., stores, Sumter’s Kmart will be one the upcoming closing on Thursday. news release, liquidation sales at on Saturday. Kmart’s parent company, Sears Hold- of 80 Sears and Kmart stores closing She said company policy prohibits the identified 80 stores are expected ings, has announced the store will close by late by the end of March, Sears Holding employees from giving out addition- March. Corp. announced Thursday. al details. SEE KMART, PAGE A7 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B5 WEATHER, A10 INSIDE James Edward Miller Bruce Allen Pauly RAIN CONTINUES 4 SECTIONS, 26 PAGES the .com Wilhemina Gregg Richardson Ray Edward Thompson VOL. 124, NO. 52 Morning rain, then showers C6 C2 Brian Warren Buckner William “Bill” Lewis Rodgers and mild tonight Classifieds Reflections Ruth Baynard Fowles Rush James J. Sanyi Sr. D1 B1 HIGH 61, LOW 55 Comics Sports John David Quzack Cathy Diana Wallace Outdoors C1 Television C4 Nancy A. Colclough Sanders Opinion A9 Yesteryear C3 Panorama A5 A2 | SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] ‘I sat with him Celebrate New Year’s, waiting on fire and EMS to arrive and but live to see 2019 watched as Brandon took his last breath.’ BY ADRIENNE SARVIS [email protected] no getting out of that," he said. The wreck was alcohol relat- LANCE CPL. DAVID JONES And an impaired driver ed, he said. could be anyone, he said. Jones said the time it S.C. Highway Patrolman "I'm OK to drive drunk." Jones said he's arrest- takes him to walk from "I only live a few miles down ed people from all his vehicle to a person's talking about a 2013 wreck the road." walks of life — front door is the lon- which took the life of 15-year- "I can handle my alcohol." wealthy, gest walk of his life. "I only have a little buzz." poor, young Since 2006 Jones, old Brandon Mayo. "I'm not that drunk." and old — along with other These are a few of the ex- for driv- troopers, has noti- cuses state troopers hear after ing under fied dozens of they stop someone suspected the influ- families that a Jones said his own son was "Brandon’s killer was sen- of driving impaired. But there ence. family member born nine days after the tenced to eight years," she is no combination of words Con- was killed in a wreck. "Between the two," he said. "Brandon got a death that could keep an impaired sider- wreck. said, "I see the crash in my sentence, and we got a life driver from getting charged ing One scene head like it was yesterday." sentence." Jennifer Mayo’s and cuffed. what still sticks with Speaking about the birth of comments were posted online South Carolina Department could him today. her son, Brandon, during the by Mothers Against Drunk of Public Safety's "Sober or hap- Jones re- 2015 parole hearing for the Driving. Slammer!" campaign and the pen called respond- man convicted of killing him, Gray was denied parole. dangers of driving impaired when a ing to a wreck Jennifer Mayo said, "At last According to South Caroli- are no secret so troopers are person at 7:30 a.m. on my husband’s dreams of hav- na Department of Public encouraging drivers to plan drives Dec. 6, 2013, on ing a son to carry on his name Safety, 300 people die each ahead for this New Year holi- drunk, Old Barnwell had come true, and our family year on South Carolina road- day. Jones said Road in Lexington of five was complete." ways as a result of impaired Many impaired drivers are getting a ticket County. Fifteen years later, Brandon driving. So far this year, caught through regular patrol, and going to jail is "An impaired driver was killed when Michael Gray, more than 900 people have said Lance Cpl. David Jones a lesser consequence. crossed the center line," he now 65, got behind the wheel died on the roads. with South Carolina Highway In the spring of 2006 said, "and struck 15-year-old while under the influence of If you know you're going Patrol. in Beaufort, Jones made Brandon Mayo head on." narcotics and sleeping pills, out drinking this holiday, or What leads to a traffic stop? his first notification to Brandon, a sophomore, was according to Mayo. any day, he said, plan your Drivers swerving in the let a family member driving to White Knoll High Gray pleaded guilty to reck- trip beforehand. lanes, driving under the speed know their loved one, a School. less homicide and was sen- Download a ride-sharing limit, speeding, driving with- young man, had died in "I sat with him waiting on tenced to eight years in prison. app such as Uber or Lyft to out headlights and not using a wreck. fire and EMS to arrive," Jones He is being held at Manning request a ride home at the blinkers are some common "I went to the home, said, "and watched as Brandon Reentry and Work Release end of the night, he said. reasons, Jones said. It's also and his pregnant fiance took his last breath. I remem- Center in Columbia. And for people who do not not uncommon for people to answered the door," he ber the parents running up to "It’s hard for me to even de- want to leave their vehicles pass out at red lights and stop said. the scene scream- scribe the pain and devasta- behind, Jones said some tow- signs, Jones said. ing." tion this brought to our once ing services will also give the "Typically," he said, "we happy family of five," Mayo vehicle owner a ride home. see good people who said to the parole board. "I lit- Troopers will be on the make poor decisions." erally thought about killing roads everyday making sure But if someone is myself daily for two years be- people are buckled up driving caught driving cause the pain of waking up safely, Jones said. while impaired, he every day knowing my son Hopefully, he said, South said, the driver is was gone was just too much Carolina can end 2018 with going to jail.