Palmetto State Makes a U-Turn
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INSIDE: Feel for a courtroom A2 SUMMER SPECIAL 10X20 UNITS AT $59/MONTH ON NEW RENTALS FOR JULY & AUGUST (OTHER SIZES AVAILABLE) SEE AD ON B1 LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE ROWLAND FAMILY - JOHN 3:16 SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 2017 $1.00 Palmetto State makes a U-turn A dozen years later, South Carolina “It came to my atten- able identification such as a birth cer- S.C. will have REAL ID has made a U-turn, and the SC Depart- tion when I talked to Col. tificate, passport, military ID or other ment of Motor Vehicles is trying to Daniel Lasica, the wing federally-issued ID will be needed to compliant IDs this year make the REAL ID compliant driver’s commander at Shaw (Air board even domestic flights beginning licenses and identification cards avail- Force Base), and he said Jan. 22, 2018. BY JIM HILLEY able before the latest deadline to com- it would be a major prob- Other members of the General As- [email protected] ply, which is Oct. 10. MCELVEEN lem with contractors try- sembly were hearing similar things to Non-compliant states secured exten- ing to come off and on what Lasica told McElveen, and legis- When the REAL ID Act was passed sions or waivers for more than 10 base to do business.” lation was introduced in the House in 2005, many legislatures, including years, but the federal government’s McElveen said we could have had a and Senate to remove the restrictions South Carolina’s, reacted by passing patience seems to have run out. real mess on our hands. passed more than a decade ago. The laws preventing he state government “Homeland Security began to tell us “Particularly for areas like Sumter, legislation passed, and now the state is from complying with the act. we would need some sort of federally if it wasn’t dealt with, we could have scrambling to produce compliant IDs. Opponents called it “an unfunded compliant ID to get on Air Force some real problems,” McElveen said. federal mandate” and said it amount- bases,” said S.C. state Sen. Thomas In addition, Homeland Security also ed to a federal ID. McElveen, D-Sumter. announced compliant IDs or accept- SEE REAL, PAGE A10 ‘Care’ is operative word Comics and fandom BY ADRIENNE SARVIS [email protected] “Education is the most pow- erful weapon which you can use to change the world.” That is a quote attributed to Nelson Mandela, said Travis Kinley, Sumter United Ministries edu- cational assistance ministry administrator. It is inspiring to think about the educators who lead the charge toward the change, he said. story was the apparent inspi- With dedication, they arrive ration she had been to those to the classroom ready to around her. equip the future world chang- Ms. N talked about one of ers, he said. her children who is making Kinley said it is even more superb grades in school and is inspiring to assist the students ahead of her peers and anoth- who aspire to leave a finger- er child who just enrolled in print in the world and in our college and is excited about community. her first semester, he said. Recently, Sumter United “It was very obvious that Ministries began its Educa- she was blazing a trail of edu- tion Assistance Ministry, de- cation for her children to fol- PHOTOS BY CAITLAN WALZER / THE SUMTER ITEM signed to equip and encourage low,” Kinley said. “Ms. N is a Steve Willis, dressed as Freddy Kreuger, competed in the cosplay contest at the first Comic and Fan single parents to receive a life changer for her family and Fest on Saturday at Sumter County Civic Center. post-secondary education. clearly a future world chang- “We want to see these single er.” parents succeed and have the Today, she is a mother lead- Devotees gather at county civic center for fest opportunity to make a change ing the way for her children to in the world, though they may receive an education while BY CAITLAN WALZER Cosplay judge Ashley feel as if they’re walking up- putting God first, and tomor- [email protected] Bell said the judges look at hill and against the wind,” row, she might be a mother at- a contestant and judge Kinley said. “We want to pro- tending her children’s gradua- On Saturday, comic fans based on more than the vide relationships and re- tion ceremonies with tears of all kinds went to Sumter costume. sources to a group of people streaming down her face, he County Civic Center for the “We look for creativity,” who may feel marginalized said. first Sumter Comic and Fan Bell said. “Handmade items and on their own while living Kinley said though Ms. N is Fest. versus store-bought items, a challenging life.” a student pressing forward to- A portion of the admis- the amount of time put into Sumter United Ministries’ ward her goals now, tomorrow sion was donated to the or- making the costume, if the first applicant, Ms. N, arrived she may be an administrator ganization Random Acts for contestant is having fun, at the organization with an at a hospital considering the Dream2Acts project. posing and enjoying them- unforgettable personality. whether to hire his daughter. The Dream2Acts project, selves on stage.” Despite the challenges and To change the world is a as stated on a news release, Cosplay judge for the Comic Bell found it difficult to adversity she faces, Ms. N is gradual process, and this min- is raising money to con- and Fan Fest Kayla Lorga judge the large group of forgiving and is able to smile istry is designed to encourage struct a building for a high dressed as the junk rat from contestants; however, she while telling her story, Kinley world change one student at a school in San Juan del Sur, Overwatch. said that it ultimately came said. time, he said. Nicaragua. down to those key indica- “Though many would have Summer of Caring is a way At the event, comic lovers comic fans an opportunity tors. given up if they lived in her for the community to give to experienced fandom meet- to not only view vintage and Abbey Normal, the first- shoes, she decided to perse- help support the work of ups, games, vintage and con- contemporary comics, but it place winner for the cosplay vere and press forward,” he temporary art, trivia and a was also the perfect oppor- said. cosplay contest. tunity to dress up as their He said the best part of her SEE OPERATIVE, PAGE A10 This convention gave the favorite fictional characters. SEE FANDOM, PAGE A7 RAMON SCHWARTZ JR. • 1925 - 2017 Former speaker of South Carolina House of Representatives Schwartz Jr. dies at 92 “Both sides of the aisle respected S.C. House to have served His time at USC was interrupted by S.C. House of Representatives in 1969, him,” recalled former South Carolina under Schwartz’s leader- World War II, when Schwartz joined elected speaker pro tempore in 1976 Rep. Grady Brown of Ramon Schwartz ship, he said. the Army and served in Europe from and Speaker of the House in 1980. He Jr., 92, who died Friday at Palmetto “He was so nice to me 1944 to 1945. remained speaker until his retirement Health Tuomey. as a freshman legislator, Returning home, he earned his in 1985. “Republicans, Democrats, he was and I will always remem- bachelor’s degree in 1948 and a law de- “He was very even when it comes to very even when it comes to the rules SCHWARTZ ber him,” Brown said. gree in 1950. the rules and the law as speaker,” Brown and the law,” Brown said of Schwartz. Schwartz was born in He then began practicing law with said. “When he was challenged on an ar- “He was an individual whom everyone Sumter in 1925 and grad- his father, Ramon Schwartz Sr., in ticle or question, he was well-rounded respected.” uated from Edmunds High School in Sumter as a partner in Schwartz and When Brown retired in November 1942 before beginning his studies at Schwartz. 2016, he was the last member of the University of South Carolina. Schwartz was first elected to the SEE SCHWARTZ, PAGE A10 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B4 and B5 WEATHER, A12 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Daisy F. Taylor Ramon Schwartz Jr. WARMING UP 3 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 VOL. 121, NO. 187 Raymond M. Callen Sr. Christine W. Pearson Humid, with clouds Classifieds: 774-1200 Nathan Smoot Albert Brisbone Sr. Classifieds B6 Delivery: 774-1258 and sun. Tonight, partly Comics C2 Britton M. Cox Ruby J. Spencer cloudy and humid. News and Sports: 774-1226 Sammie Lee Pinkney Rosa Scarborough Food C1 Gail L. Mathis Quinton Burgess Sr. HIGH 96, LOW 76 Opinion A11 Television C3 A2 | WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Campers go inside the courtroom at ‘Mock Trial’ BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] Instructional summer camps are al- ways educational, but University of South Carolina Sumter’s “Mock Trial” camp last week offered a twist with the opportunity for students to ex- plore the inner workings of the court system by playing out various roles. USC Sumter political science profes- sor Damien Picariello administered the first-time camp to 18 students, ages 9 to 14. The camp was part of the college’s expanded summer day camp series in late June that offered four in- structional options.