STATE Some troopers carrying personal rifles to work FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2017 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents A3 Suspect House fire results will have in 1 death, 1 injury mental Franklin Street on Thursday. know, the woman was at least Woman who Eva Harvin was found on partially immobile and used a the front porch as firefighters wheelchair, which was also on screening died was found approached the house just the porch, Duggan said. BY ADRIENNE SARVIS after 1 a.m., Battalion Chief Without having an opportu- [email protected] Joey Duggan said. nity to speak to the surviving on her porch Firefighters moved Harvin victim yet, the fire depart- The 21-year-old Cherryvale BY ADRIENNE SARVIS to the yard, where she was ment does not know how the woman charged with stealing [email protected] later pronounced dead at 1:48 woman got on the porch. and wrecking three vehicles — a.m., according to Duggan and The survivor — whose ADRIENNE SARVIS / THE SUMTER ITEM including a marked county pa- A 68-year-old woman died Sumter County Coroner Rob- name has not been released — Mia Thornton begins to cry trol vehicle — on Wednesday and a 71-year-old man sus- bie Baker. was found down the road from during a first appearance will remain in jail at least until tained burns to more than 90 An autopsy will be scheduled the residence, Duggan said. hearing at Sumter-Lee Re- a February bond hearing in percent of his body during an in Newberry at a later date. gional Detention Center early morning house fire on As far as first responders SEE FIRE, PAGE A10 on Thursday. SEE DRIVER, PAGE A6 SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTOS ABOVE: Flowers and candles are seen outside of the storefront of Save-Mart Grocery during a vigil for Vijaykumar Patel, who was shot and killed in his store on Nov. 24. U.S. airmen assigned to the 20th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department extinguish a mock C-130 Hercules aircraft LEFT: U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jeff Zell gives his daughter, Eva, 5, a kiss be- fire during a live fire training scenario at Shaw Air Force fore leaving her in a kindergarten class on the first day of school at Alice Base on June 27. Drive Elementary School. he year that was 2017 is about to wrap up with a bang of confetti TSunday, and while there is much to look ahead to in 2018, The Sumter Item is taking a look back at the top 10 most-read stories we ran this year, based on what you clicked on at theitem.com. See the top five most-read stories in Sunday’s paper. 10. BODY OF DROWNING VICTIM IDENTIFIED Tuesday, June 13 From staff reports Capt. Robert McCollough of South Carolina A child at First Presbyterian Church’s “Hero Central” Vacation Department of Natural Resources Law En- Bible School gasps as he checks out Lane Latham’s hand-built forcement Division has confirmed the body of Batmobile. a drowning victim was recovered at 10:15 a.m. today. The victim has been identified as Four F-16 Vipers 27-year-old Marquille Kenyata Miller of Dal- assigned to the zell. 20th Fighter The DNR dive team began searching Tues- Wing, Shaw Air day night for a man who fell out of a boat near Force Base, fly Pack’s Landing on Lake Marion in Sumter over the South County. Carolina coast as McCollough said initial reports are the boat part of a past Sa- was in a canal near the landing and may have lute from the hit a stump or a log, causing the man to fall out Shore tribute. of the boat. He said it is not known if the man At Swan Lake-Iris Gardens, visitors from Camden, the Cane- pa brothers, found a decorated rock, part of a rock-finding SEE TOP STORIES, PAGE A10 craze across the area during the summer. VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B6 WEATHER, A12 INSIDE Edward Canty Jr. Angleen Odom STILL CHILLY 3 SECTIONS, 28 PAGES the .com VOL. 123, NO. 51 David L. McKnight Sr. Johnnie Carl Howard Mostly sunny and warmer; William McCants Jr. Helen C. DuPont partly cloudy and cold tonight Classifieds B7 Television C4 Sadie G. Duncan Jeanette Cope Comics C6 USA Today C1 Kevin Johnson Wilhelmenia J. Breckenridge HIGH 48, LOW 26 Diane A. Arrants Gladys B. St. Thomas Opinion A7 Ulysses Hickman Cleveland Chambers Jr. A2 | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Housing assistance application is due today FROM STAFF REPORTS Sumter County residents af- fected by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 who applied for housing assistance through the South Carolina Disaster Recovery Of- fice must complete their appli- cations by today. SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO Applicants who applied be- fore Nov. 10 had that window to complete the process and turn in all supporting documents. Ring in new year with a (safe) bang Those who do not complete their applicants by the deadline will be dropped from the pro- Sumter first responders offer safety tips for using fireworks gram, according to an SCDRO news release. If you are unsure about what BY ADRIENNE SARVIS ground to prevent fires, and documents are missing from [email protected] keep a water hose on hand to your application, call the in- put out any embers. take office at (844) 410-8560. The new year is right Unpaid electric bills, water around the corner, and to WHEN USING FIREWORKS bills and property taxes are not make sure your New Year's • Adults should be the covered by the program. Bills Eve celebrations with fire- only people to handle fire- must be paid before SCDRO works goes well, local first re- works, even sparklers, and its contractors can obtain sponders provided the follow- which can reach 500-1,000 needed permits. ing information. degrees Fahrenheit — a tem- The agency plans to serve Now could be a dangerous perature capable of causing about 1,350 homes affected by time to light fireworks be- second- or third-degree the hurricane. Eligibility and cause it is so dry outside, so burns. priority are based on income, people need to be extra care- • Follow the instructions age dependency and disability. ful, Sumter Fire Department of each firework, and do not The Disaster Recovery pro- Division Chief Johnnie Rose attempt to make your own gram is designed to help eligi- said. fireworks. ble residents return to safe, "We want to prevent inju- • Stand a safe distance sanitary and secure homes. ries," he said. away from fireworks be- For more information, visit There have been multiple cause they cannot be con- www.scdro.sc.gov. fire deaths this year in Sum- trolled after they are ignited. ter, but hopefully 2018 will be • Fireworks that launch into a better year, he said. the air should not be tilted or Rose encouraged residents facing people or property. to visit their nearest Sumter TAKE CAUTION STATE BRIEF fire station to register to have FROM WIRE REPORTS a fire alarm installed for free. Fireworks can reach tem- It takes the whole commu- peratures as hot as a weld- nity, he said, to prevent fire ing flame and can be power- Drugs, gun, teeth found deaths. ful enough to cause severe on man stopped at store damage to the body when PREPARE BEFORE LIGHTING they explode. MYRTLE BEACH — Police There are no regulations • Do not light fireworks • Light one firework at a most typical injuries regard- say they found thousands of prohibiting the private use of near property — a single time, and do not re-ignite ing fireworks involves chil- doses of heroin, a gun and fireworks in the city or coun- spark can travel hundreds malfunctioning fireworks. dren touching sparklers. If human teeth on a man detained ty. of yards in the wind. (A per- • Put used fireworks in a someone gets burned, run during a suspected shoplifting • Be mindful of older resi- son is liable for any damage bucket of water. the wound under cool water investigation at a South Caroli- dents, young children, veter- caused by fireworks.) (Source: Sumter Fire De- and wrap the area with dry na Walmart on Christmas Eve. ans and pets when planning • Do not carry fireworks in partment) gauze, he said. Officers told the Sun News of to light fireworks. your pocket. Always seek medical at- Myrtle Beach they charged • Light fireworks in an open • Do not ignite fireworks TREATING MINOR BURNS tention if there is a burn be- 21-year-old Tavon Malik Stan- space. inside metal or glass con- Bobby Hingst, director of cause the injury could easily ley of Calabash, North Caroli- • Sprinkle water on dry tainers. Sumter County EM, said the get infected. na, with crimes including hero- in trafficking and drug posses- sion. Officials at a North Myrtle Beach Walmart detained Stan- ley after they saw a person with SAFE Federal Credit Union holding election for board him allegedly take around $25 worth of items without paying FROM STAFF REPORTS sor at USC lington Technical College. for them. Stanley had a Ruger 9 The new year will bring a new Sumter, is Membership for SAFE is open to mm handgun and more than chance for SAFE Federal Credit Union also running anyone who lives, works, worships or $2,500 in cash, and officers members to vote in or out its board of for re-elec- goes to school in Sumter, Lee Claren- found dozens of pills, thousands directors.