LOCAL Forestry Commission issues Red Flag Fire Alert for area THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2019 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents A3 2 wrecks claim Zobrist will retire 2 Sumter men in Sumter in June BY KAYLA ROBINS on Tuesday about 1:20 p.m., [email protected] according to Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker. 9th Air Force commander was assigned 1st to Shaw in ’92 Two Sumter men died in The next day, 72-year-old BY KAYLA ROBINS said Monday Zobrist will retire from separate vehicle wrecks this Jack Welch, of Ramsey Road, [email protected] after giving a the U.S. Air Force after 33 week, adding to the number of succumbed to injuries he sus- keynote ad- years in the military, during fatal wrecks in Sumter Coun- tained in a vehicle-versus-mo- The 9th Air Force com- dress at the which time he has held staff ty that has surpassed the total ped crash that happened on mander, who leads eight Sumter County positions at the Air Staff, from last year to this point. May 22 about 3:15 p.m. on Mc- wings and three direct re- Veterans Asso- Air Combat Command, U.S. Carl Sellers, 63, of Harry Crays Mill Road. porting units through its ciation Memori- Forces Japan and 9th Air ZOBRIST Avenue, was pronounced dead Welch died at Prisma Health Shaw Air Force Base head- al Day ceremo- Force, has commanded two at the scene because of total Richland. An autopsy will be quarters, is set to retire next ny that he and fighter wings and is a com- blunt-force body trauma from performed at a later date at month, but he won’t be his wife, Kay, have picked mand pilot with more than a single-vehicle wreck on Mill- going far. Sumter as their home in re- er Road and Jackson Avenue SEE WRECKS, PAGE A6 Maj. Gen. Scott J. Zobrist tirement. SEE ZOBRIST, PAGE A6 Helping the world grow BioBantam Club at Bates Middle recognized by National Wildlife Federation for butterfly garden BY KAYLA ROBINS planting seeds. [email protected] After months of planning and design- group of ing, they planted the garden about three middle weeks ago. Seedlings school stu- have sprouted and A even blossomed. As dents is building a the students head new world in a home for the summer, they will know their small garden for project received na- tiny creatures tional recognition. “It was a major sur- who have a big prise,” said Clayton role to play. Grate, a sixth-grader in the club. “I basically Students in Bio- love science because it Bantams, a first-year gives me hands-on science club at Bates learning with crea- Middle School in tures, animals, plants, PHOTOS BY KAYLA ROBINS / THE SUMTER ITEM Sumter, spent the wildlife and a lot of Bates Middle School students in the new BioBantam Club work on their new butterfly garden Thursday. The garden has year planning and other stuff.” gained recognition from the National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. designing a butterfly The National Wild- garden, doing every life Federation, the step themselves, nation’s largest from research- wildlife conser- ing which flow- vation and ed- ers and plants ucation orga- attract what nization, kind of butter- awarded the fly to drawing a blueprint for SEE GARDEN, the garden to PAGE A6 digging up dirt, building the garden walls, making a rain barrel and irriga- tion system and SOUTH CAROLINA BUTTERFLIES Eastern 165 Swallowtail Species of South Carolina’s butterflies in South Carolina 6 state butterfly Hours of sun eats nectar from recommended a variety of plants, including daily for butterfly milkweed, lilac 21 gardens and wild cherry. Species are most Its wingspan can commonly found reach 4.5 inches. in our area 4 Life stages of the butterfly are egg, larva, pupa and adult. Host plants such as milkweed, seen at right, serve as places to lay eggs and as food for caterpillars such as this Monarch. Sources: sciway.net, Clemson Cooperative Extension VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B3 WEATHER, A8 INSIDE Celestine Witherspoon Walker Donald C. Walker DRINK PLENTY OF WATER 2 SECTIONS, 14 PAGES the .com VOL. 124, NO. 157 Betty Jean Batten Stogsdill Claude Rabon Jr. Very hot today; clear Evelyn S. Rouse Perry Glen Murray and warm tonight Classifieds B6 Sports B1 Maggie Marie Spencer Ward Thomas Parrott Comics B4 Television B5 Bertha Mae Ellison HIGH 98, LOW 72 Opinion A7 A2 | THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2019 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Sumter High honors IB, AVID candidate graduates BY BRUCE MILLS ure and turn it into personal [email protected] growth. You pushed yourself for two years outside your comfort It’s neither the smartest nor the zone. It’s very admirable, and you fastest who achieve the most suc- did something that most people cess in life, but those who are driv- shirk away from. Just doing it is the en, willing to face challenges and best thing.” fall down, but then get back up Class of 2019 IB Diploma candi- again. date Charlie Hernan- That was a theme dez will be a first-gen- Tuesday night at Sum- eration college student ter High School’s rec- when he enrolls at ognition ceremony for Clemson University in candidate graduates of August and said the MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM its International Bac- program taught him Sister Wimberly makes her way down the Shrine Day Parade route on Saturday. calaureate and Ad- perseverance. vancement Via Indi- HERNANDEZ MORSE “All the classes vidual Determination teach you to grow in- (AVID) programs at Sumter First ternally and help you gain a better Church of the Nazarene. understanding of the world,” Her- Sister Heath Wimberly The two academic programs are nandez said. for high-achieving and self-motivat- A Sumter native, Maggie Morse, ed students at the school, according is another IB Diploma candidate. Day celebrates Friends of to Marie Mulholland, academic pro- She will attend the American Acad- grams coordinator at Sumter High. emy of Dramatic Arts in Manhat- The IB program, which features tan, New York, plans to major in 19 candidate graduates this year Acting and said she liked the family Swan Lake Gardens founder who will receive an IB diploma, is atmosphere in the program. known nationally for its level of “I liked getting to know my fellow Wimberly also receives the Gamecock City Society Award rigor and use of problem-solving students and also the teachers,” and application skills, she said. Morse said. “You are with the same “The IB program is for the stu- teachers and students for two BY KAYLA ROBINS dent who truly wants more than whole years — all-day, every day — [email protected] just your average high school expe- so you really do become a family.” rience,” Mulholland said. A total of 27 AVID candidate The Saturday of this year’s Iris Fes- That’s both inside and outside the graduates were also recognized for tival in Sumter wasn’t just any regu- classroom, she said. at least taking one IB class in their lar festival day, a banner hung on the IB students — in the 11th and last two years of high school. For front of the entrance to Swan Lake- 12th grade at the school — take ad- their work, AVID graduates will re- Iris Gardens denoting Sister isn’t just vanced-level courses in English, ceive an IB certificate. any regular sister. math, science and history, as well AVID students are often middle, Sumter Mayor Joe McElveen de- as foreign languages and electives. standard academic track students clared May 25, 2019, as “Sister” Heath They are also required to complete who have a strong work ethic and Wimberly Day to recognize the woman a community-service project in the voluntarily commit to take more who founded Friends of Swan Lake curriculum. advanced coursework in core sub- Gardens. He awarded her the Game- Matthew Wilt, a Sumter High IB ject areas — including math, Eng- cock City Society Award earlier in alumnus from more than a decade lish, science and social studies — May, the highest honor a citizen can ago, and current IB teacher at the during high school. receive from the city. school, said program graduates’ Mulholland said most of the 46 “Unless you’re a Southerner, you’d biggest achievement is survival. students recognized Tuesday have think I was a nun gone bad,” Wimber- “It’s OK to fail,” Wilt said. “But, earned at least partial scholarships ly said in a feature video produced by we have taught you to take that fail- to advance their education. the City of Sumter about her. Wimberly’s grandfather was A.T. Omar Croskey South Carolina State Heath Sr., a Sumterite who owned IB Diploma candidates Sister Wimberly is seen in her wedding University land on the north side of Liberty Jordan Ali University of South Carolina Calvin Felder Boston College Street. When Heath saw what his gown in June 1956. Makenzie Berry College of Charleston Javon Ford Presbyterian College neighbor Hamilton Carr Bland was Jude Blake Clemson University D’aja Harris-Gibbs Winthrop University Jarod Bowers Coastal Carolina University Antonio Hawkins University of South Carolina doing to develop his land into a private Then-Mayor Talmadge Tobias Lauren Carneal Clemson University Michaela Holmes University of South Carolina fishing retreat and his landscaped asked her in 1987 if she’d sit on an Emily Cook College of Charleston Savannah Holmes University of South Carolina home grounds with Japanese irises, advisory board for the lake, and she Joshua DeWitt Clemson University Taylor Johnson Claflin University he deeded his land to the city with the took the idea from there to create Charlie Hernandez Clemson University Jonathan June University of South Carolina Denzyl Lastimoso University of South Carolina Cassidy Kitchens Charleston Southern agreement that Bland also develop the Friends of Swan Lake Gardens, Abigail Marzano Clemson University University this part into the gardens.