IN SPORTS: Gators not celebrating win, snapping streak, focused on Lake City B1 THE CLARENDON SUN Manning City Council proud of eclipse events A7 FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents Sumter K-9 Mike retires AUGUST FARM REPORT JIM HILLEY / THE SUMTER ITEM A combine harvests feed corn at Jeremy Cannon’s farm near Turbeville. Cannon said most of the corn would likely end up as feed for Pilgrim’s Pride. A few stink bugs mar otherwise good corn crop BY JIM HILLEY PHOTOS BY MELANIE SMITH / THE SUMTER ITEM [email protected] ABOVE LEFT: Cpl. Larry Wix stands with his K-9 partner, Mike, during Mike’s retirement ceremony on Thursday after- noon at Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. Mike is a 10-year-old Dutch malinois and has worked with Wix for five years. Most farms in the tri-county area have had a He will be adopted by Wix and live with his family. ABOVE RIGHT: K-9 Mike takes a look at his retirement plaque held pleasant summer. by his handler, Cpl. Larry Wix, as they attend Mike’s retirement ceremony. “It was a real good growing season; we had mild temperatures, it never got all that hot and plenty of moisture so the corn took advantage Five-year police department veteran hanging up his leash and matured a little bit early,” said Clemson Extension Agent David DeWitt. BY ADRIENNE SARVIS He said Mike may be a little many cases including searching But while a robust corn harvest is underway, [email protected] upset about not going to work for missing people, tracking sus- some farmers are finding unwanted visitors in every day anymore because the pects and locating narcotics. He their ears: stink bugs. On Thursday, Sumter County service dogs tend to enjoy work- said K-9 Mike is a dual-purpose “We had stink bugs that got into the corn in Sheriff’s Office celebrated the re- ing so much. service dog who provides handler May, and you will see some extreme losses,” tirement of K-9 Mike, a five-year After today, Mike will start his protection as well as tracking ser- said Ricky Atkinson, who farms about 4,000 veteran with the agency, who will retirement as a civilian dog, living vices for the agency. acres of corn, wheat, soybeans and cotton in complete his last shift today. with his handler, Cpl. Larry Wix. Having a K-9 is similar to hav- Lee County near Mayesville. K-9 Mike, 10 years old, has been Wix said he and Mike spend 12 ing a back-up officer, Wix said. “You might see a field that is about 150 bush- an asset to the agency, Chief Dep- hours together at work and al- Mike has been a loyal partner els and another right beside it with 50 bushels,” uty Hampton Gardner said. This ready live together because of from day one, he said. Atkinson said. “Those stink bugs must have is a bittersweet occasion, he said. their partnership. Wix said 10 years is usually the been in the woods and wheat crop, and when Staff Sgt. Jason Tassone, super- He said Mike is the first K-9 he maximum age for a service K-9. we harvested, we pushed them out of the visor of the K-9 Unit, said Mike has worked with as a deputy. He said their partnership will wheat and into the corn.” has been a vital part of the agen- Before a K-9 can start work, it continue after Mike’s retirement, Even with the stink bugs, Atkinson said it cy and a valuable part of the K-9 must complete about two years of just in a different setting. still looks like a good year, so far. Unit. Tassone presented K-9 Mike training to get certified to go on Wix will continue as a member He said his cotton and soybeans are looking with a plaque thanking him for patrols with a handler, Wix said. of the K-9 Unit and will travel to good, but some areas could use some rain. his dedicated service to Sumter During his time with the agen- Georgia on Sunday to pick up his “We have had some spotty rains; about half County. cy, Mike has assisted Wix in new work partner, K-9 Spike. of our crop on the side near Mayesville is pret- ty good, but the side near Bishopville is in a pretty decent drought right now,” he said. DeWitt said most cotton he has seen is look- ing good. “Cotton has probably enjoyed this heat,” he Sumter native Lewis Brice a top 10 new artist said. “Cotton likes a little bit of heat on it.” He agreed some areas could use rain. FROM STAFF REPORTS Near Turbeville, Jeremy Cannon said he has seen some damage from stink bugs in a couple NASHVILLE — Rolling Stone of his fields as well. Country has named Sumter na- “I have had two farms with stink bugs; they tive Lewis Brice one of the 10 are going to be pretty rough, but percentage- New Country Artists You Need to wise they were probably only in about 10 per- Know, following the debut of his cent of my total acreage.” July release on Spotify. He re- He said he is harvesting his corn this week. ceived more than a million “With a few weeks of good weather, we will streams there, and his songs are make good headway with it,” he said. “Looks very popular on many other digi- like it is going to be as good as last year.” tal playlists. Cannon said his tobacco is about a month A breakout song from Brice’s re- from harvest. lease, “Outta My Head,” is receiv- “It’s as good of a tobacco crop as we’ve had ing frequent play on SiriusXM The in five or six years,” he said. Highway’s #OnTheHorizon for the Like most farmers, he’ll feel better when all past two weeks as its YouTube of his crop is harvested. Spotlight. Brice can be found at lis- “So far, so good,” he said. “You know as well teners’ digital retailer of choice as I do, for the last couple of years you can’t and at lewisbrice.com, where you count on it until you get it in.” can listen to samples from the Soybeans have been growing well, too, De- songs on his extended play, or EP, Witt said. release and connect to digital for- “We have a few folks who are actually plant- mats to purchase. There is also a ing some soybeans behind the corn,” DeWitt schedule of his tour dates, which said. Most of those are people who cut their begin today in Elkart, Indiana. PHOTO PROVIDED corn in July. Sumter native Lewis Brice, brother of country music star Lee Brice, is seen on SEE BRICE, PAGE A11 the cover of his extended play release “Outta My Head.” SEE FARM, PAGE A11 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B6 WEATHER, A12 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Lincoln E. Cantey Jack Whack Jr. COOLER AND CLEARING 3 SECTIONS, 28 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 Stewart E. Schnur Thomas O. Brunson Jr. VOL. 121, NO. 224 Classifieds: 774-1200 Mostly sunny today and Samuel Ealey Jr. Raymond J. Balls cooler, still somewhat humid; Classifieds B6 Delivery: 774-1258 Nelton H. Hayes Ruth Brabley News and Sports: 774-1226 tonight, partly cloudy Comics C6 Juanita B. Tucker Bonnie L. Williams and mild. Carlton Generette Rossetti M. Blanding Opinion A10 HIGH 88, LOW 69 Television C4-C5 A2 | FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Eclipse to spark large economic impact BY ADRIENNE SARVIS [email protected] As a result of the total solar eclipse Monday, Sumter can expect a large economic im- pact as well as future visits from out-of-town guests be- cause of Southern hospitality. The eclipse event was han- dled very nicely, said Sumter County Administrator Gary Mixon during Sumter County Council’s meeting Tuesday. He said more than 9,000 people, mostly people from out of town, are estimated to have visited Dillon Park on Monday to watch the total eclipse. Many of the out-of- town visitors were staying on the coast but came farther into the state because the skies were not clear enough to see the eclipse, he said. Mixon said the event also brought more foot traffic downtown, where some visi- tors watched the eclipse with county employees on the lawn of the old Sumter County Courthouse on Main Street. A lot of visitors made com- ments about how friendly the people of Sumter are, he said. Some people said they would revisit Sumter for other events, he said. Mixon said it is estimated park closed about 1:45 p.m. It Locals and that Sumter will see hundreds was remarkable how many out-of-towners of thousands of dollars in eco- people were there, he said. flocked to nomic growth because of the Bell said it seemed that Dillon Park to event. many of the people who visit- experience the It was exceptionally orderly, ed from out of state left the solar eclipse said deputy Ken Bell, public area with a positive impres- Monday. While information officer for Sum- sion of Sumter. The event was waiting, they ter County Sheriff’s Office, kind of like a family reunion passed the time about the watch party at Dil- because people were being so with face painting, lon Park on Monday.