Drug costs make cancer battle more than 1 fight Turbeville woman advocates for bill in D.C. to lower costs of husband’s meds BY KAYLA ROBINS affording them. Even that may urge her senators to support FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2018 75 CENTS [email protected] only give him another year the CREATES Act, legislation and a half of covering costs, introduced to Congress in 2017 SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 William Driggers’ cancer and still even if he survives that would lower the cost of medications are so expensive after that, the Driggers couple her husband’s cancer medi- 3 SECTIONS, 26 PAGES | VOL. 123, NO. 106 — and vital to his survival — would be left with nothing. cine from $13,000 a year. that he and his wife may have Lisa Driggers recently trav- L. DRIGGERS CLARENDON SUN to sell his family farm to keep eled to Washington, D.C., to SEE CREATES, PAGE A11 Spring sights at Swan Lake High school students wow judges with art Several in Blackwell’s class win awards for their work A7 NATION Ever dream of being a pilot? Airlines hiring at rate not seen since 9/11 A6 PHOTOS BY MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM An Australian black swan parent watches over its new family at Swan Lake-Iris Gardens on Saturday. FAR LEFT: A mallard DEATHS, B5 rests at Swan Lake- Iris Gardens while Standard L. Pugh Cleveland L. Holladay keeping a watchful Bessie W. Guinn Alberta Major eye. B J Grant Isiah Luckey Queen E. Grady Joseph T. Abram LEFT: A snowy egret Manuel Benjamin Sr. James E. Wilson hunts for its next Helen H. Walters Mary Jane Dennis meal at the lake. Maureen V. Knott-York Corine Reames Gladys W. Buddin Freddie M. Carr Cheryl Lyn Green WEATHER, A12 HELLO FRIDAY! Mostly sunny and nice; increasing clouds tonight Board OKs Warren Street bed and breakfast HIGH 74, LOW 47 BY ADRIENNE SARVIS at Washington Street is covered with space such as hosting events. [email protected] businesses, one couple was appre- George McGregor, planning de- INSIDE CONTACT US hensive about the idea of commer- partment director, clarified that Sumter City-County Board of Zon- cial structures extending farther in using the property for events would Classifieds B6 Info: 774-1200 ing Appeals approved a special ex- to the residential portion of the require a rezoning request and an- Comics C6 Advertising: 774-1237 ception request to permit the opera- neighborhood. other hearing. Opinion A10 Classifieds: 774-1200 tion of a bed and breakfast at 24 “I don’t want to live next door to a Tracey McLaughlin, applicant and Sports B1 Delivery: 774-1258 Warren St. business,” said Phil Osborne, whose future bed and breakfast operator, C4 The 5,622-square-foot Greek Reviv- property sits next door to the pro- said she and her husband originally Television News and Sports: al-style mansion — also known as posed bed and breakfast. planned to use their property to host C1 USA Today 774-1226 the Barnett house — with four bed- The house should be occupied but events in the future but have since rooms and three-and-a-half bath- not for the use of a business, he said. changed their minds. rooms sits on a 1.47-acre parcel, sur- Osborne said he was concerned McLaughlin said she is also ex- rounded by commercial and residen- about vehicles unfamiliar to him pecting the business to attract a VISIT US ONLINE AT the .com tial structures. driving near his home at different more quiet clientele who will work Regarding the bed and breakfast, times of the day and the potential well with the residential side of the three of the bedrooms will be open for additional noise from the guests. neighborhood. to guests, and one parking space will He said he was also concerned “It’s been a dream of mine to have be available per room. that approval for the bed and break- While the corner of Warren Street fast could lead to other uses for the SEE APPROVAL, PAGE A11 Sumter native Finney running for 3rd term as solicitor BY ADRIENNE SARVIS Finney will file manner and giving victims in the release. bined efforts have benefited [email protected] as a Democrat for the best support available, ac- Through improved case the four counties they serve. the primary elec- cording to a news release. management, the solicitor’s “I am proud of our team Ernest “Chip” Finney III, tion scheduled for He also started a violent office has been able to com- and the work we do to evalu- Third Circuit solicitor, is run- June 12. crimes court team to help plete more cases each and in- ate and prosecute cases,” he ning for re-election after serv- During his pre- speed up the prosecution of crease the use of several said. “We have a great work- ing two consecutive terms in FINNEY vious terms as so- those charged with serious of- court diversion programs ing relationship with law en- office. licitor — serving fenses and those who commit such as pre-trial intervention, forcement, and we value our A Sumter native, Finney, 61, Sumter, Lee, Clar- multiple offenses. drug court and alcohol educa- role as representatives of has been a member of the endon and Williamsburg “This will focus our re- tion. crime victims.” South Carolina Bar since 1981 counties — Finney has fo- sources on the effort to Finney also credited the Staff also works with the and has practiced law in the cused on tackling the chal- prosecute the guilty and success of the Third Circuit to Third Circuit Drug Court, Midlands for more than 30 lenges of moving the criminal better protect the citizens his team of circuit lawyers years. case roster in a more efficient of our circuit,” Finney said and support staff whose com- SEE FINNEY, PAGE A11 A2 | FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Brookdale veterans honored PHOTOS BY ADRIENNE SARVIS / THE SUMTER ITEM Buddy Hauser, maintenance employee at Brookdale Senior Living Solutions Sumter, Wilson Hall Road, presents U.S. Army veteran James Amerson, left, and U.S. Air Force vet- eran Rogers Mungin, above, with a pin from Embrace Hos- pice during its Military Lunch at Brookdale on Thursday. Each of the facility’s veteran residents was given a pin and certificate in appreciation of his or her military service. veiled Monday night. LOCAL & A district spokesperson re- leased information Thursday on STATE BRIEFS two more scheduled sessions for FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS next week. Both will occur on Saturday, March 24. The first is scheduled Active threat exercise for 10 a.m. at Mayewood Middle held today at Shaw AFB School's media center. The sec- ond session that day will be at 1 The 20th Fighter Wing and p.m. in the school cafeteria at Sumter community police, fire Rafting Creek Elementary in and ambulatory services are Rembert. scheduled to conduct an active Three other sessions were al- threat exercise at the 20th Medi- ready scheduled for next week: cal Group clinic, Shaw Air Monday at Cherryvale Elemen- Force Base, on Friday. tary School's multipurpose Base patrons can expect in- room, Tuesday in the cafeteria creased traffic, emergency vehi- at R.E. Davis Elementary cles and unusual activities in- School, and Thursday in the cluding the use of simulated cafeteria at Hillcrest Middle WPLG-TV VIA AP munitions around the clinic be- School in Dalzell. All those ses- In this frame from video, emergency personnel work at the scene of a collapsed bridge in the Miami tween 8 a.m. and noon. Individ- sions are slated to begin at 7 area on Thursday. uals are encouraged not to call p.m. emergency service unless in re- The school district's initial sponse to a real-world situation community input session was unrelated to the exercise. Thursday night at Sumter High Miami bridge collapses; multiple fatalities The combined exercise is de- School. signed to build on an already MIAMI (AP) — A pedestrian bridge being traffic next year. strong relationship between Brothers get 30 years built across an eight-lane highway collapsed “We are shocked and saddened about the Shaw Air Force Base and the in beating death of man at a Miami-area college Thursday, crushing tragic events unfolding at the FIU-Sweetwa- Sumter community, increasing eight vehicles under massive slabs and kill- ter pedestrian bridge. At this time we are still interoperability should the need ANDERSON — Two broth- ing multiple people, authorities said. The involved in rescue efforts and gathering in- arise for a collective response to ers have been sentenced to 30 number of fatalities was not immediately formation,” the school said in a statement. incidents in the local area. years in prison in the beating known. The National Transportation Safety Board The clinic will not be open to death of a man who com- “The main focus is to rescue people,” said sent investigators to the scene. patients during the exercise; plained they had overcharged Miami-Dade Police Director Juan Perez. “As “We have a national tragedy on our hands,” however, the base exchange his son for marijuana. soon as those efforts are over, our homicide Sweetwater Mayor Orlando Lopez said. pharmacy will be open for pa- Media outlets reported that bureau will take the lead.” The “accelerated bridge construction” tients to fill prescriptions. 35-year-old Oscar Ernest The main companies behind the bridge’s method was supposed to reduce risks to Lance and 21-year-old Jacob construction have faced questions about their workers and pedestrians and minimize traf- District adds 2 more Lance pleaded guilty to man- work, and one of the companies was fined in fic disruption, the university said.