IN SPORTS: Wilson Hall, Thomas Sumter square off B1 Flu outbreak closes school Some Clarendon Hall staff, students test positive A2 SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018 $1.00 Trial for Remembering a POW’s assault begins brave sacrifice BY ADRIENNE SARVIS [email protected] The trial for Edward McElveen, 66, of Dal- zell — charged for allegedly binding his neighbor with duct tape and sexually assault- ing her in February 2016 — began on Monday at Sumter County Judicial Center with testi- mony from the victim and three witnesses after the fact. McElveen was arrested on Feb. 22, 2016, for allegedly holding the victim against her will and sexually assaulting her twice — at her home and at his residence, both in Scenic Lake Mobile Home Park — during at 12-hour period between Feb. 21 and 22. He is charged with kidnapping, first-degree criminal sexual conduct, felon in possession of a weapon, un- lawful carry of a weapon and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. During a news conference after McElveen’s arrest, Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Den- nis said the victim and McElveen had been in an intimate relationship for about one year before the two separated about one month be- fore the alleged assault. “I did not consent,” the victim testified on Tuesday. Her name has been omitted for her privacy. The victim said she was also held against her will. She told the court the incident started SEE TRIAL, PAGE A8 Crosswell Drive school partners MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM with Thompson Jacqueline Heckel, wife of honored former POW the late Lt. Charles C. Heckel, attends a ceremony in her hus- band’s honor at Shaw Air Force Base on Friday. Lt. Heckel was honored with a Prisoner of War Commendation. Initiative aims to improve achievements of students Lt. Heckel, captured in Nazi Germany and liberated BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] in 1945, receives posthumous commendation at Shaw As the new principal this year at Cross- BY KAYLA ROBINS well Drive Elementary School, Shawn [email protected] Hagerty started this fall with a plan that expectations needed to be raised. Now, he has brought on a local business partner to help him and his staff in turning itler’s Nazi Germany the school around. liked numbers. Num- Greg Thompson, owner of Thompson Construction Group, spoke Hbers were used to Monday at Crosswell’s Family keep detailed records Night to parents about his company’s new partnership throughout World War II. with the school to help raise They were used to keep student achievement. In recent years, Crosswell track of personnel. People, HAGERTY Drive, at 301 Crosswell Drive, both those sent to camps has been one of the lower-per- forming elementary schools in and prisoners of war, be- ‘Americans, indeed, all Sumter School District and the came numbers. state in academic achievement, free men, remember according to Hagerty. In a purposeful and specific “The staff here has been attack on the spirit and will of that in the final choice phenomenal,” Hagerty said. those he sought to annihilate, THOMPSON “From day one, I indicated that the dehumanization of reduc- a soldier’s pack is not the expectations needed to be ing a person to an item on an PHOTOSPHOHOOTOSTOTO PROVIDEDPRROVIO DEDE raised and the challenges needed to be met, inventory list was successful in Heckel became a POW after so heavy as a prisoner’s and that change is a good thing. Since the many. flying with the 9th Tactical Air start, the staff’s commitment has been un- The late Lt. Charles C. Heck- Force’s 474th Fighter Group in chains.’ precedented.” el, who was honored with a October 1944. Above right, GEN. DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER His three- to five-year goal and vision is Heckel is seen as the Statue of SEE HECKEL, PAGE A7 for Crosswell to be in the top 10 percent for Liberty comes into view after 34th president of the U.S. achievement among all elementary schools his liberation in 1945. SEE INITIATIVE, PAGE A8 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B5 WEATHER, A12 INSIDE Dora Lee D. Frazier Eva Council COOLER TODAY 3 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES the .com VOL. 123, NO. 69 Donald T. Spitzer Clifton Benbow Partly sunny and cooler; William D. Jenkins Luella P. Pearson clear and cold tonight Panorama C1 Opinion A10 Patrick F. McCabe Sr. Ella Mae H. McFadden HIGH 59, LOW 29 Classifieds B6 Sports B1 Lew E. Wallace Jr. Comics C2 Television C3 A2 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Flu outbreak closes school for this week Some Clarendon Hall students, staff test positive for the virus BY KAYLA ROBINS symptoms to seek medical at- [email protected] tention and "quarantine them- selves until they are 24 hours Clarendon Hall is closed for symptom-free." the rest of the week because During the closure, the of a flu outbreak among stu- school will be cleaned and dis- dents and staff. infected according to a release The private non-denomina- from the school. tional pre-K through grade 12 The school's athletic ban- Christian school on South quet will be held on Monday, Dukes Street in Summerton Jan. 29, at 6:30 p.m. will not hold classes or activi- All activities originally PHOTO BY DANIEL CIMA FOR THE AMERICAN RED CROSS ties Jan. 24-26 "due to a num- scheduled for today, Thursday Red Cross employee Bob Otwell prepares blood products including FFP, Whole Blood and Platelets ber of students and staff and Friday are canceled. Clar- for distribution to nearby hospitals on Aug. 27, 2017, in Houston, Texas. members who have tested pos- endon Hall will not partici- itive for the influenza virus." pate in the SCISA Spelling "Our first concern is always Bee or Bowling Tournament. the safety of our students, The Powder Puff Football Red Cross declares critical staff, parents and the school Game and sports pictures will community," Headmaster be rescheduled. Phillip Rizzo said. "After con- This flu season has been es- sulting with health care pro- pecially harsh, with nine flu- need for blood, platelets fessionals, we made the deci- associated deaths in the state sion to close for the remainder in the most recently reported BY KAYLA ROBINS of the week." week, according to the Cen- UPCOMING BLOOD DRIVES IN School officials are encour- ters for Disease Control and [email protected] aging anyone with flu-like Prevention. SUMTER Ongoing severe weather has more than • Jan. 25: 2-7 p.m., Grace Baptist Church, 219 West doubled the number of canceled American Calhoun St. Red Cross blood drives, resulting in what • Feb. 3: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., St. Francis Xavier High School, the agency is declaring a critical situation 15 School St. SAFE reaches $1B in assets for blood and platelet shortages. • Feb. 6: 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., YMCA of Sumter, 510 More than 550 blood drives have been Miller Road Creates position for compliance director canceled due to winter weather in January, • Feb. 14: 8:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Lakewood High School, causing more than 16,500 blood and platelet 350 Old Manning Road donations to go uncollected through last FROM STAFF REPORTS plex regulations and our week, according to the agency. SAFE Federal Credit Union growth, now that we have "Blood and platelet donations are cur- the Red Cross. has grown a lot since 15 civil- passed the billion-dollar asset rently being distributed to hospitals faster "Every day, no matter the weather, the ian Shaw Air Force Base em- level, it requires the efforts of than they are coming in," Clifford Numark, Red Cross must collect more than 13,000 ployees pooled their money in a lot of good people to make senior vice president of Red Cross Blood blood and platelet donations to meet the 1955 to eventually create the sure that we follow all the Services, said in a news release. "Donors needs of patients," according to the agency. largest Midlands-based credit rules and protect our mem- are critically needed to restock the shelves "Accident victims and patients with cancer, union with $1 bers and their money in ev- for patients in their community as well as sickle cell disease, blood disorders and billion in total erything that we do," Darrell areas where donors are unable to give due other illnesses may require potentially life- assets. Merkel, president and CEO of to inclement weather." saving transfusions every day.” As a billion- SAFE, said. "We are counting In South Carolina, 23 blood drives have Make an appointment to give blood or dollar institu- on Robin Kelly to help us in been canceled, causing more than 650 dona- platelets by downloading the free Red Cross tion, the credit that mission." tions to go uncollected. Bitter cold and a Blood Donor App, visiting www.redcross- union is subject “Asset size is the basic harsh flu season have contributed to low blood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1- to greater regu- benchmark in banking that turnouts at many blood drives, according to 800-733-2767). KELLY latory compli- helps banks and credit unions ance require- evaluate growth. Being a bil- ments, so SAFE has created a lion dollars in assets is a big new position to address regu- deal for any credit union and Palmetto Health strives to teach latory issues, according to puts SAFE among the top 3 Kevin Tanzillo of the credit percent of credit unions in union.