IN SPORTS: Cardinal Newman ousts Wilson Hall from state baseball playoffs B1 THE CLARENDON SUN 91-year-old still playing organ at her church A6 FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2017 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents The right place at the right time Clarendon County deputies rescue woman from submerged vehicle BY JIM HILLEY Drose rushed to the scene and ar- with Conyers going to the passenger’s “Sgt. Conyers was actually pushing [email protected] rived at about the same time CCSO side and Drose to the driver’s side. on her chest, kind of doing compres- Cpl. Keven Wilson and Sgt. Clay Cony- “As soon as I opened the driver’s sions while I was toting her to the “Somebody was looking out for her,” ers arrived after receiving the call. side door, I reached in the car and I beach,” Drose said. said Maj. Don Drose of the Clarendon “They got there a little bit before I felt her legs,” Drose said. She had ap- Meanwhile, Cpl. Wilson had waded County Sheriff’s Office. did, but we all got there at about the parently gotten out of her seatbelt be- out and met the pair about halfway On Sunday, April 30, Drose was at same time,” Drose said. “The two of cause she was floating near the roof. out. his home near Highway 260 between them were actually on a call about 2 “I pulled her out by the legs and “When we got her up on the beach, Manning and Lake Marion, a place lo- miles away on the other side of Jor- turned her around and got her above Wilson took over the CPR and me and cals call “First Water.” He heard a call dan, and I was actually at my house, the water,” he said. “By that time Sgt. Conyers returned to the car to see come over his police scanner about a directly across the street from there.” (Conyers) had come around the car if there was anybody else in it,” Drose submerged vehicle near Highway 260 The vehicle was entirely submerged and helped get her up.” said. and Herring Drive. An alert passerby in water about neck deep and about 75 Keeping her head above water, the had noticed the car and called 911 im- yards from the shore, he said. two began dragging the unconscious mediately. Drose and Conyers swam to the car, woman to the shore. SEE RESCUE, PAGE A4 Prom Promise State’s public records law loopholes may be closed BY SEANNA ADCOX The Associated Press COLUMBIA — Legislation closing loopholes in South Caro- lina’s open records law is poised to becoming law without a “crown jewel” provision that would have made it easy and in- expensive for people to force ob- stinate government agencies to turn over public documents. An 89-0 vote Thursday in the House sent the bill to Gov. Henry McMaster. He says he’ll sign it, cap- ping a seven-year effort to strengthen public access to government re- cords. The Senate ap- MCMASTER proved the bill hours earlier after JOE PERRY / SUMTER COUNTY stripping out the section creat- Lakewood High School students watch as a firefighter cuts open the door of a vehicle while responding to a simulated crash scene on ing a state hearing officer to set- the school grounds during the Prom Promise program on May 5. Personnel from Sumter Fire Department, Sumter County Emergency tle disputes over requested infor- Medical Services and Sumter County Sheriff’s Office responded to the simulation as they would at an actual wreck. The purpose of the mation. program is to educate students on the dangers of distracted or impaired driving as they were preparing for prom on May 6. Sen. Margie Bright Matthews, whose objections killed a nearly identical bill last year, insisted on the change. The Walterboro Democrat says she opposes the Sumter career center to launch aerospace engineering program estimated $140,000 cost of creat- ing a new division in the Admin- istrative Law Court. Senate rules BY BRUCE MILLS dents who are curious about the de- allow a single senator to block [email protected] sign and flight of aircraft and space- legislation. craft and related careers. Miller said The bill’s House co-sponsors Sumter School District high school she’s looking for students interested in were disappointed, but with just students will soon have access to aero- subject matter in science, technology, one hour left in the regular leg- space engineering classes. engineering and math. islative session, they urged their Last week, state education officials The new aerospace engineering cur- colleagues to lose the “crown announced that Sumter County Career riculum is also classified as an Ad- jewel” rather than risk it dying and Technology Center is one of five in relatively close proximity to Sumter, vanced Career honors-level program again. high schools in South Carolina that she thought the aerospace engineering that combines a rigorous academic Reps. Weston Newton and Bill will be implementing an aerospace program would be a great fit for the core with challenging hands-on proj- Taylor say the amended bill still curriculum this fall for the 2017-18 district’s students. ects and advanced technology. Miller represents progress. school year. The high school curriculum was de- said the curriculum will be the first “Now there’s a deadline, and In the process of trying to revamp veloped as part of a multi-state consor- honors-level program at the career that’s huge,” said Taylor, R-Aik- and broaden course offerings at the tium by the Southern Regional Educa- center. en, a former TV reporter and center, Principal Shirrie Miller was tion Board to improve career and tech- “Sometimes we have students who media consultant whose bills made aware of the program offering, nical education. According to state ed- and with Shaw Air Force Base, McEn- ucation officials and Miller, the curric- tire Air National Guard and Boeing all ulum was established to appeal to stu- SEE LAUNCH, PAGE A4 SEE LOOPHOLES, PAGE A4 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B4 and B5 WEATHER, A12 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Sarah L. Dwyer Ophelia Howard STORMY 3 SECTIONS, 26 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 John H. Ridgeway J.C. Amos Sr. VOL. 122, NO. 150 Classifieds: 774-1200 Strong afternoon Charles W. Anderson John W. Robinson thunderstorm. Classifieds B6 Delivery: 774-1258 Pinckney Montgomery Thelma M. James Tonight, overcast Comics C6 News and Sports: Theola R. Brunson Elizabeth D. Thompson 774-1226 with spotty t-storms. Sarah Wilson Marion Martin Sr. Opinion A10 Mary Ellen Fries HIGH 88, LOW 64 Television C4-C5 A2 | FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Lake View man ‘It takes up the whole river!’ Charleston dies during collision with among ports to welcome giant ship SAVANNAH — The larg- 18-wheeler est cargo ship ever to visit ports on the U.S. East Coast is so long the Statue of Lib- FROM STAFF REPORTS erty and Washington Monu- ment could fit end-to-end A 29-year-old man died as a along its deck and still leave result of a wreck involving room for Big Ben. two vehicles and a semi-truck The COSCO Development on U.S. 15 near Airport Road arrived Thursday at the Port about 8:10 a.m. on Thursday. of Savannah after cruising Sumter County Coroner past dozens of onlookers Robbie Baker identified the de- who cheered and took pho- ceased as Jack Ross II of Lake tos of the mammoth vessel View. from Savannah’s downtown According to South Carolina riverfront. Its first East Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Coast voyage marks a new David Jones, all three drivers era for U.S. ports that, de- were wearing seat belts. spite years spent anticipat- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS He said Ross, driving a 2005 ing the supersized ships, will A crowd of well-wishers along River Street welcomes the container ship COSCO Development on Toyota four-door vehicle, and struggle to accommodate Thursday morning in Savannah as the vessel sails up the Savannah River to the Port of Savannah. The the driver of a 2005 Chevrolet them without major infra- ship, the largest vessel ever to call on the U.S. East Coast, is expected in the Port of Charleston on Sat- Tahoe were traveling south structure improvements. urday, according to South Carolina State Ports Authority. bound on U.S. 15 while the “It takes up the whole 2007 Freightliner tractor river!” Andrew Evans, who TRACK IT are seeking $4.6 billion after thority initially thought two trailer was traveling north served as a ship’s officer in being authorized by Con- or three larger ships would bound. the 1960s, exclaimed to his Head to the S.C. State Ports gress to make room for big- pass through each day, he Jones said Ross crossed the wife as the ship slowly lum- Authority website to track the ger ships. Only three of said, but the daily average center line and struck the bered into view, the cargo vessel as it moves toward the those have cleared the per- has been nearly six. semi-truck head on. The semi- containers stacked on its Port of Charleston. mit requirements needed to The COSCO Development www.scspa.com/big-ship-ready truck driver then lost control deck towering above trees start digging, said Jim Walk- had to make its 39-mile trip of the vehicle, crossed the cen- on the shore. er, navigation policy director up the Savannah River at ter line and side-swiped the “The largest ships I was shows shippers aren’t wait- for the American Associa- high tide Thursday morning Tahoe, he said.