Authorities arrest 70 in bust Lengthy drug investigation likely to apprehend more, sheriff says BY BRUCE MILLS cocaine, heroin, firearms and county region and the state as- [email protected] more than $100,000 in cash dur- sisted the sheriff’s office in the ing the sting operation — called operation. Those included the After conducting a six-month Operation Eclipse. FBI, State Law Enforcement Divi- undercover drug investigation, Dennis said in a Saturday news sion, Clarendon County’s Sher- Sumter County Sheriff’s Office release the operation lasted sev- iff’s Office, Manning Police De- deputies have arrested 70 people eral months because so many partment, Lee County Sheriff’s SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2017 $1.75 allegedly involved in a major people were involved. Office, Sumter-Lee Regional De- drug ring locally, and more ar- “We have arrested 70 people,” tention Center and Richland SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 rests are expected, Sheriff An- Dennis said. “And more arrests County Sheriff’s Department, thony Dennis said Saturday. Of- are expected. We still have 20 out- among others. ficials reportedly seized quanti- standing warrants.” Dennis said Operation Eclipse ties of methamphetamine, opi- He said various law enforce- ates, marijuana, cocaine, crack ment agencies across the tri- SEE BUST, PAGE A12 4 SECTIONS, 32 PAGES | VOL. 122, NO. 230 HURRICANE HARVEY ‘An absolute miracle’ Former Sumter resident living in Texas braves flooding to rescue neighbors Keep your mind, body active Shepherd’s Center prepares for Adventures in Learning A5 USA TODAY Which jobs have top wage growth? C1 SPORTS Gamecocks hold off Wolfpack 35-28 B1 PHOTO PROVIDED REFLECTIONS An aerial view of a medical facility in Humble, Texas, is seen after being flooded by Hurricane Harvey. Former Sumter resi- dent Micah Stewart said she was scheduled to help the new Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital satellite facility open for the first time Tuesday. Paramedic helps folks evacuate nursing home BY JIM HILLEY took me two hours just to [email protected] check out.” She said people were still ‘Don’t touch “Just because it stopped being nice, even though they raining, and the hurricane were frustrated and worried. went away, that doesn’t mean “You could tell there was a me. I’m dying.’ it’s all over.” level of stress on people,” she Those are the words of said. Micah Stewart, Memorial Hermann called who is now a “code red,” she said. working as a “Anyone who was at the paramedic at hospital was stuck at the hos- Memorial Her- pital, and anyone who was Drive-in theaters have mann Northeast not at the hospital was not al- C4 Hospital in lowed to come in because of faded from view STEWART Humble, Texas, the flooding,” Stewart said. a northern sub- “Some people have gone for urb of Houston. Originally 48, 72, 96 hours (on duty).” from Sumter, Stewart said She said she has friends DEATHS, A13 she has lived in the Houston who are EMTs, and they were Datrick D. Davis Margarette S. Evans area about four years. required to go to work Friday Bettie L. Stover Ronald S. Howard Stewart said she was work- whether they were scheduled Wendy H. Durant Carroll O. Clark Jr. ing in the emergency room to work or not. Joe L. Vaughn John Mayrant when people began to realize “They have been on for six Harvey would be bad. days,” she said. “All the stores completely Stewart was not on duty ran out of the necessities and when the code red was called shut down, but I was able to get to a store,” she said. “It SEE STEWART, PAGE A10 WEATHER, A14 SUNNY AND WARM DEVIN ZARING VIA AP Mostly sunny today and warm; Harvey likely among worst storms Ronald Zaring celebrates his birthday April 17 tonight, clear and cool As damage and losses mount, Harvey will likely earn a place at Friendswood Health Care Center in Friend- swood, Texas. On Tuesday, the 82-year-old HIGH 90, LOW 63 among the worst storms of the last two decades. died on a rescue bus on the way to a hospital. INSIDE CONTACT US COSTLIEST Harrowing Harvey stories Classifieds C8 Info: 774-1200 Katrina, 2005 $160 billion are beginning to emerge Comics D1 Advertising: 774-1237 Sandy, 2012 $70.2 billion Opinion A11 Classifieds: 774-1200 Ike, 2008 $34.8 billion BY AMANDA LEE MYERS and Outdoors C7 Delivery: 774-1258 ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS The Associated Press Public Record C6 News and Sports: Yesteryear C5 774-1226 DEADLIEST One man used his last words to save a Katrina, 2005 1,833 deaths friend’s life, warning him away from a live electrical wire. Another died check- Sandy, 2012 159 deaths ing on his uncle. Several others were last Rita, 2005 119 deaths seen helping people out of floodwaters. VISIT US ONLINE AT the .com They’re among Harvey victims who lost their lives trying to save other peo- WETTEST ple. Others died doing their best to sur- vive the catastrophic disaster. Lee, 2011 51.7 inches of rainfall They range from 6 years old to 89. T.S. Allison, 2001 40.7 inches Their stories are emerging as the death Georges, 1998 38.5 inches toll from the storm continues to mount. Twenty-five-year-old Andrew Pasek SOURCE: NOAA AP SEE STORIES, PAGE A13 A2 | SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] LOCAL & COMMENTARY NATIONAL BRIEFS FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS We need new words for the Bayou City Look out for gas price BY TRIPP BALLARD sighed in relief that we were NOT in finally find our place at the Houston gouging after Harvey Houston, Texas the eye of the storm. Food Bank. There we joined our new Twenty-eight years after Hurricane friends in packing and sorting over According to a news release, e need new words to de- Hugo, I can still hear the chainsaws 20,000 pounds of donated foods for the the Attorney General’s office is scribe Houston’s recent slicing through the fallen, aromatic now jam-packed shelters. Like the monitoring the effect of Hurri- flood: Epic. Unprecedent- pine trees. Sumter’s response in 1989 clean-up following hurricane Hugo, it cane Harvey on gas prices in W ed. No, these seem inade- was massive and charitable. The week- felt good to finally begin to connect South Carolina. While it’s true quate. They fail to offer sufficient rev- end following Hugo’s landfall, I drove with the Harvey recovery effort, if only you are paying more at the erence for the loss of property and life. home from Clemson, carefully dodging in a small way. pump, the simple rise in the We also need new colors: deeper shades road-strewn trees all the way from In a city of over four million, those price of gasoline does not equal of maroon and fuchsia on the weather Statesboro to our house to join Byron affected are now experiencing a flood price gouging under state law. maps to display ever increasing precip- Kinney in the clean-up. This would be of human support from neighbors near However, S.C. does have a law itation totals from 30, to 40, to more my small part in Sumter’s large and and far. Love has become a verb. I hope against price gouging that takes than 50 inches of cumulative rainfall. long recovery. that our collective response, like Har- effect under very specific cir- And, finally, we need new responses: Like Hugo, Harvey did not go quiet- vey, will be both intense and sustained. cumstances. Run-ups in price, charity, kindness, volunteerism, com- ly into that dark night. However, while I hope that we will meet the challenge. even those that seem large, may passion, and sacrifice going head-to- Hugo traveled at 20 mph from coastal Lastly, I hope that through this tragedy be justified by market forces in head with all of nature’s sound and S.C. to Charlotte in less than 24 hours, a new generation of volunteers and a our competitive system, but if fury. Harvey drunkenly ambled around new dedication to altruism will emerge you feel you are the victim of When we moved the family to Hous- southern Texas for five days. During in me, my family, and all those who price gouging, there are certain ton in 2015, I quickly became acquaint- this time, Houston repeatedly sus- have ears to hear and eyes to see. steps to help the Attorney Gen- ed with street flooding. When it rained, tained torrents of not Hugo-style From Houston with love, Tripp Bal- eral’s office investigate: we just pulled our cars up onto the me- wind, but Harvey-style rain. Our fami- lard • Note the time, place, address dians, waited for the flooding to sub- ly was very fortunate, we only experi- and name of the gas station; side, and then returned to our daily ac- enced street flooding. Many of our fel- Tripp Ballard is a Sumter native. He • Note the price you paid; tivities. It was business as usual. Being low Houstonians were not so fortu- graduated from Wilson Hall and Clem- • Note any prices nearby, and from Sumter, this reminded me of driv- nate. By now all of us have seen the son University and served as CEO of the get the same information on ing along the waterlogged streets of images and heard the stories of boat Sumter Family YMCA from 2003-08. those stations; Pawleys Island at high tide.