IN USA TODAY: Trump’s welcome committee is a gush of protesters C1 Church adds 2nd campus in Pocalla Springs/Lakewood TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents A2 Shaw commander: We can defeat ISIS in Syria BY JEFF WILKINSON nition to medical care to helicopters — for the The State wars in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, as well as operations in 17 other countries from Yemen to Lt. Gen. Michael X. Garrett is the command- Kazakhstan. er of U.S. Army Central, based at Shaw Air The command, also known as Third Army Force Base in Sumter. The three-star com- or ARCENT, is a component of U.S. Central mand is housed in Patton Hall, the modern, su- Command, based in Tampa, Florida, which per-secure building screened from busy U.S. plans and commands the wars and operations U.S. ARMY PHOTO BY SGT. BRANDON HUBBARD 378 by a pine thicket, high razor wire-topped in the region. Garrett was chief of staff for Lt. Gen. Michael X. Garrett, commander of U.S. Army Central, address- fences and heavily armed guards. CENTCOM, as it is called, for nearly three es the crowd during a transfer of authority ceremony at Camp Arifjan, From there, Garrett and his staff of about Kuwait, on Dec. 19. 4,000 provide all of the support — from ammu- SEE COMMAND, PAGE A6 ‘We Cannot Turn Back’: 700 attend annual MLK Walk PHOTOS BY RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM Hundreds of walkers turn out to walk in the 17th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Walk on Monday despite foggy conditions. Elementary school principal gives speech Walkers share during the annual event at USC Sumter BY KONSTANTIN dream, the courage to pur- importance of VENGEROWSKY sue it and the endurance to [email protected] follow it through to the end. unity, legacy “We have to continue “We Cannot Turn Back” dreaming,” she said. “Don’t BY KONSTANTIN was the theme of a tear-jerk- turn back as you walk VENGEROWSKY and ing speech delivered by F.J. ahead; our children are de- KASEY MEREDITH DeLaine Elementary School pending on it. I’m not turn- [email protected] Principal Maria Newton- ing back; I don’t know about Ta’Bon at the 17th Annual you.” Why did you walk in the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Newton-Ta’Bon said al- 17th Annual Martin Luther Jr. Dream Walk on Monday. though much has been King Jr. Dream Walk? More than 700 people at- achieved since the Civil Delta Sigma Theta sorority sisters Tompka Harris, left, and Alazia “I do it to show appreciation tended the 3-mile walk and Rights Movement, there is Williams display the Greek symbol for Delta while walking in Mon- for what Dr. King did and what program involving speeches, still much that needs to be day’s annual event. According to the sorority’s Sumter website, Delta he means to the world,” said songs and celebratory read- done. Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. is a nonprofit organization whose purpose Pastor James Blassingame of ings, held at University of “Our forefathers had the is to provide services and programs to promote human welfare. Mount Zion Missionary Bap- South Carolina Sumter. The courage to fight for us so tist Church in Sumter. “He event was a collaborative ef- that signs of ‘colored’ would Civil Rights Movement, in- durance is also important. stood for equality, justice and fort of the university, Morris no longer be displayed,” she cluding sit-ins, marches and She defined endurance as peace. It’s important not to for- College and Central Caroli- said. “So that we would be acts of nonviolent protest. having the ability or get the sacrifices he made. We na Technical College. able to walk through every “Many lost their lives so strength to continue or last, cannot turn back; we have to Newton-Ta’Bon’s speech door of a business and re- that we could have the same especially despite fatigue or keep pressing forward.” focused on what she said ceive equal treatment.” equal rights,” she said. other adverse conditions. “I marched in the streets were key points of achieving She also gave many other “Have the courage to stand “In this journey of not with Dr. King,” Ruby Miller a dream: having the dream, examples of courage that for what is right.” the vision to foresee the were displayed during the Newton-Ta’Bon said en- SEE EVENT, PAGE A9 SEE WALKERS, PAGE A9 Fireside Fund helps injured mother and her daughter stay warm BY JIM HILLEY inated, Langford said, yet living ex- tries are making a huge difference.” [email protected] penses continued. Because of the generous donations In an effort to get back into the of Sumter people to Fireside Fund, Bill Langford, a member of the Cri- workforce, she is working with Voca- she will be able to heat her home, sis Relief staff at Sumter United Min- tional Rehabilitation to reset her work Langford said, her daughter can con- istries, said Fireside Fund can make a skills and make herself a valuable tinue to develop her career progres- life challenge bearable. asset to one of our local companies, he sion, and the woman can continue to “In the common course of life,” “She is a hard-working lady raising said. seek new training for new employ- Langford said, “sometimes there are a teenage daughter, and all was going “However, at this time, funds are ment. events that stop us in our tracks.” well,” Langford said. “Then her injury still very limited,” Langford said. “The “Very soon, life will be back to nor- One such event, Langford said, hap- became a life-changing event.” Fireside Funds available from the mal,” he said. pened when a young lady suffered a She was no longer able to work with wonderful folks of Sumter and distrib- serious workplace injury. her skill set, and her income was elim- uted through Sumter United Minis- SEE FIRESIDE, PAGE A9 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B4 WEATHER, A10 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Willie Mae Clodfelter A LITTLE FOG AGAIN 3 SECTIONS, 20 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 Jonathan L. Hermanson VOL. 122, NO. 67 Classifieds: 774-1234 Fog in the morning; some Michael L. Holloman sun today and partly cloudy Classifieds B5 Opinion A8 Delivery: 774-1258 Juliette W. Johns and mild tonight Comics C4 Television A7 News and Sports: 774-1226 Marie A. Griffin General Lee Ragin Jr. HIGH 73, LOW 59 A2 | TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Electrical short possible cause Black River Electric nears of home fire that killed 2 sisters completion of solar array BY JIM HILLEY BY ADRIENNE SARVIS [email protected] [email protected] Black River Electric Cooperative will Fire investigators have deter- soon begin generating as much as mined that the house fire on 250,000 watts of electricity at a new com- 2nd Avenue that claimed the munity solar array on Diebold Road in lives of two women on Thurs- Sumter, BREC CEO Charlie Allen said. day was possibly caused by an Allen said the community solar proj- electrical short behind the ect will offer a way for co-op members stove. who wish to invest in solar electric Sumter County Coroner Rob- power generation to get involved. bie Baker identified the de- “The thinking for the community ceased as Gladys Gilmore Scar- solar is that rooftop solar is biased to- borough, 88, and Blanche Wil- ward the affluent,” he said. “You have to liams, 82. have $15,000 to $20,0000 to invest, you The women were sisters and can’t put it on an old roof, and you have both lived at the residence, he to be in a neighborhood that will allow said. Autopsies were scheduled it. Some neighborhoods have home as- for Saturday. sociations that frown on solar panels.” The fire department received He said the idea of community solar JIM HILLEY / THE SUMTER ITEM the call about 1:25 p.m. on projects has been used by numerous Workers spread gravel around solar arrays constructed by Black River Electric Coopera- Thursday and arrived on scene electric utilities across the nation. tive near Diebold Road in Sumter. Spreading the gravel is one of the final tasks in prepa- at 1:30 p.m. “We had a lot of members who are in- ration for taking the 250,000-watt facility online, BREC CEO Charlie Allen said. On Thursday, Sumter Fire De- terested in community solar.” partment Division Chief Brian The co-op also has members who Christmas said there was heavy have installed their own solar equip- month, for 1,000 watts generated from would end up paying about an extra smoke and fire coming out of a ment, he said, mostly on rooftops. the sun, which is applied back to the $1.50 a month on their bill if the fee is window on the side of the house “We have about 27 of those right now, member’s bill. $20. when fire crews arrived. The about 15 of them were up the whole Allen said he has been told the aver- “The nice thing about solar is that fire started in the kitchen and time last year, another 12 came up later age customer will use about 175 kilowatt rate is not going to go up, so as the rates spread to the adjacent rooms in the year,” Allen said. hours a month for that fee.