NATION: Trump says plan will put $4K per year back into average households A4 HEALTH Rev up your metabolism to help burn fat TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents A3 Smith wins award for his dedication to telehealth ADRIENNE SARVIS / THE SUMTER ITEM Keito Jordan, outreach coordinator for the Richland County site of the Midlands Father- hood Coalition, speaks Thursday at the group’s first graduation in Sumter. Coalition hosts 1st graduation in Sumter PHOTOS BY JIM HILLEY / THE SUMTER ITEM Father in program says let Medical University of South Carolina President Dr. David Cole, left, and CEO Dr. Patrick Cawley, right, present the MUSC struggles become your gift Healthy Communities Award to Rep. Murrell Smith Jr. on Monday at Palmetto Health Tuomey. BY ADRIENNE SARVIS MUSC Healthy Communities honor given to representative at hospital [email protected] BY JIM HILLEY ning,” Cole told Smith. Midlands Fatherhood Coalition held its [email protected] “We now see the fruits of that in- first graduation in Sumter on Thursday vestment,” he said. “Thank you for evening after establishing a site in the S.C. Rep. Murrell Smith Jr. re- helping us.” county two years ago. ceived the Medical University of In accepting the award, Smith The graduates, from Sumter, Lee and South Carolina Healthy Communi- said he was grateful to be able to re- Clarendon counties, who were recog- ties Award on Monday at a gather- ceive the award in Sumter, where nized on Thursday completed a six- ing at Palmetto Health Tuomey. he could be among his friends and month program that helps fathers be- According to a news release, colleagues who have been involved come more active in their children’s lives Smith was honored for his role in in health care. through attending classes that focus on “securing state funding dedicated He thanked the members of the parenting and building healthy relation- to the expansion of telehealth ser- local medical community for their ships. vices across the state to deliver care work. Keith Ivey, Sumter site director, de- to those who need it the most, re- “You are the ones who have been scribed the fatherhood coalition as a gardless of where they live.” on the front lines of health care,” family that assists other families. According the U.S. Health Re- Smith said. “I want to thank you for “No matter what happens we always sources and Services Administra- what you do.” rely on family,” Ivey said. tion, telehealth is “the use of elec- Smith said that when he first was The fatherhood coalition is here to tronic information and telecommu- elected to the South Carolina House help heal and guide each person who nications technologies to support Dr. David Cole, president of the Medical of Representatives, the U.S. Su- comes through the door, he said. long-distance clinical health care, University of South Carolina, speaks at preme Court had recently ruled “We make it personal,” he said. “This patient and professional health-re- a ceremony honoring Rep. Murrell that states could refuse to accept is not a business.” lated education, public health and Smith Jr. on Monday at Palmetto the expanded Medicaid. Then-Gov. The goal is for participants to be suc- health administration.” Health Tuomey. Nikki Haley made it clear she cessful in their personal and professional Luminaries from MUSC traveled would not accept the expanded lives, Ivey said. to Sumter to present the award, in- peared on the legislative agenda. Medicaid. Before recognizing the graduates, the cluding CEO and Vice President for With the aid of state funding, “The one thing we did was realize audience heard from Keito Jordan, a Medical Affairs Dr. Patrick J. Caw- MUSC has been able to form a South Carolina can’t just say, ‘No.’” man who completed the fatherhood co- ley, President Dr. David J. Cole and statewide telehealth alliance in all he said. “We needed to have a dis- alition program before becoming em- MUSC Center for Telehealth Direc- of South Carolina, he added. cussion about improving health ployed with the organization. tor Dr. James Elligott. Also on hand “When telehealth first appeared care in South Carolina.” Jordan said deciding to participate in were Palmetto Health Tuomey in the Legislature in 2013, Smith He said he was especially con- the fatherhood coalition’s program was Chief Operating Officer Michelle was a champion,” Elligott said. cerned about inequities in health the first time he felt he made a step in Logan-Owens, Smith’s wife and “This is a moment we want to take care access in the state and in- the right direction to become the father parents and a large contingent of just to say, ‘Thank you.’” trigued by the possibility telemedi- he always wanted to be. the staff of the hospital. Telehealth will transform the de- cine could help address that. Jordan said he met his father for the Elligott credited Smith for sup- livery of health care in South Caro- “I am proud of the work we have porting telehealth in the General lina, he said. done, and it has been a team ef- SEE FATHERS, PAGE A6 Assembly when the topic first ap- “You were there at the begin- fort,” he said. Palmetto Optimists’ Battle Buddies will challenge children on Saturday BY IVY MOORE Director of Communica- youth will be paired with [email protected] tions Larry Perkins said the mentors to assist them in 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. event for completing the course, which Young people will navigate young people ages 5 to 15 will features such challenges as a the Palmetto Optimist Club’s be held on a course set up at ladder wall, hurdles, a tire Battle Buddies Obstacle Course Shaw Park on Broad Street pull, a low crawl and more. SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO with help from law enforce- Extension near Shaw Air The finish line is through a Kam Choice, then 5, plays a variation of the popular yard game corn- ment, military personnel and Force Base. hole during the 2016 Battle Buddies sponsored by the Palmetto Opti- first responders on Saturday. Each of the participating SEE OBSTACLES, PAGE A6 mist Club. More than 160 young people participated last year. VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B4 WEATHER, A8 INSIDE Archibald W. Hursey Jr. Pinkney Dinkins Jr. AH, HERE’S FALL 2 SECTIONS, 16 PAGES the .com VOL. 123, NO. 2 Ida Mae W. Rowe Laura B. Johnson Mostly sunny today; chilly William H. Perry Saretta L. Pugh with a starry night tonight Classifieds B7 Sports B1 Virginia A. McHone Mary Lee M. Frierson Comics B6 Television B5 Louise Andrews Barbara S. Francisco HIGH 69, LOW 44 Cory Shaw William Toney Sr. Opinion A7 Jillian C. Dukes A2 | TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] K-9 tracks burglary suspect to his house FROM STAFF REPORTS Once on scene, K-9 Deputy Lane, Lot 9, was arrested and is Halo was able to follow the sus- charged with second-degree Sumter County Sheriff’s Of- pect's scent to his home on burglary. He was taken to Sum- fice made an arrest on Monday Blackberry Lane, about half a ter-Lee Regional Detention morning after one of its K-9s mile away. Center. tracked a burglary suspect to The suspect, Sumter County Sheriff An- his home. 29-year-old James thony Dennis credited deputies About 2:30 a.m., deputies re- Ashton Hobbs, for quickly solving the case. sponded to an alarm at Stop ‘N answered the “We are proud of the work Go convenience store at 3660 door of the resi- that went into this case that re- Pinewood Road and discovered dence and gave sulted in an arrest being made that the side door of the build- deputies consent within a couple of hours,” he ing had been damaged, accord- to search his said. “Our deputies train many ing to a news release from the HOBBS home where nu- hours with their K-9s to pre- sheriff's office. merous lottery pare for situations such as The suspect made entry into tickets along with cartons and this." the building and reportedly packages of cigarettes were Dennis said Sumter residents took multiple cartons of ciga- found, according to the release. can rest assured that the agen- rettes and numerous lottery Deputies also seized a crowbar, cy will use every investigative tickets of an unknown value. gloves and a stocking cap. tool available to solve crimes. The store owner also re- While speaking with Hobbs, “These K-9s are well trained, sponded and reviewed surveil- deputies noticed that he was and the handlers should also be SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO lance footage of the break-in wearing pajama pants identical credited for working so many K-9 Deputy Halo sits next to his handler Cpl. Cameron Prescott with with deputies who were able to to those seen in the store's sur- hours so that, when a situation Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. determine which way the bur- veillance video. such as this one arises, we are glar fled. Hobbs, of 3785 Blackberry up to the task,” he said. LOCAL BRIEFS 80 Catholics attend rally FROM STAFF REPORTS Summerton Town Council meets today Summerton Town Council will meet at 6 p.m. today at Summerton Town Hall, 10 Main St., Summerton. The agenda includes the consideration of a change order for the Force Main proj- ect. Council will hear reports from the mayor and staff and will hear public comments as they relate to items on the agenda.