NATION Super Bowl ads aim for the heart, some with humor TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2018 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents A3 12 remain in hospital with flu As of Monday, Palmetto Health Tu- “As of [Monday] morning, we had periencing ‘high’ influenza activity Palmetto Health Tuomey omey had 12 people admitted with the treated 53 flu patients. That is not increased from 32 states plus New system has treated 53 so far flu, including one infant, according to admitted 53, just treated between all York City and Puerto Rico to 39 Katie Geer, communications director the [Palmetto Health Tuomey] offic- states plus New York City and Puer- BY KAYLA ROBINS for the Sumter hospital. es and Emergency Department,” to Rico.” [email protected] She could not confirm whether the Geer said. South Carolina is among those 39 infant in the hospital on Monday was According to the latest FluView re- states with “high” activity. More people are being hospitalized the same as the child who was admit- port from the Centers for Disease The CDC reported on Monday that with the flu in Sumter County as the ted on Thursday night. She did not Control, all U.S. states except Hawaii indicators used to track influenza- illness continues to spread throughout have a breakdown of how old the continue to report “widespread flu the country. other 11 patients are. activity, and the number of states ex- SEE FLU, PAGE A7 Goodbye, Chief BRUCE MILLS / THE SUMTER ITEM An American flag is displayed during the funeral of former fire Chief Don Spitzer. Shaw Fire Department and Sumter Fire Department attended the funeral that included Fire De- partment Honors at First Church of God on Saturday. Funeral held for former Shaw fire chief, longest serving in history of Department of Defense BY BRUCE MILLS services — the Base colleagues — including [email protected] first 26 on active two base commanders — duty and then an spoke Saturday at the funeral Family, friends, fellow Air additional 31 with Fire Department Honors Force officers and firefighters years in civil ser- at First Church of God, 1835 of all types gathered in Sum- vice. Camden Highway. ter on Saturday to pay tribute SPITZER After beginning “Chief,” as many called him to the life and career of Chief his civil service at Shaw, was described as a Don Spitzer, the longest-serv- firefighting ca- straight talker, an unparal- ing fire chief in Department reer at Craig Air Force Base leled leader, a take-charge of Defense history. in Selma, Alabama, Spitzer type person and a legend in A Sumter resident after re- and his family moved to Sum- fire services. tiring from Shaw Air Force ter and Shaw in the late 1970s. “Chief Spitzer was a fire- Base, Spitzer died Jan. 8 while He served more than 25 years fighter’s firefighter,” said Ret. visiting family in California. as fire chief with the Shaw Col. Ed Henson, a former base PHOTO PROVIDED He was 85. Fire Department before retir- commander at Shaw who Spitzer served for 57 years in the U.S. Air Force fire services, including Spitzer served a total of 57 ing in 2005. more than 25 years as fire chief with Shaw Fire Department. years in U.S. Air Force fire Four former Shaw Air Force SEE SPITZER, PAGE A6 Ministry helps retired couple keep their heat on through donations BY BRUCE MILLS assistance,” Howell said. “By a balance of more than $900 to housing and energy assis- [email protected] the time they buy groceries continue having heat for the tance,” Howell said. “It’s an and pay the house payment, winter,” Howell said. “There easy decision to assist couples The continued support of half of their income has been was simply no way this couple like this — older couples who donations to The Fireside spent.” could make that payment.” have no other options to in- Fund enables the Crisis Relief For their convenience, a According to Howell, the crease their income and Ministry of Sumter United local energy company had es- ministry was able to assist struggle to keep up.” Ministries to assist with emer- tablished an equal payment with a large sum of the bal- According to Howell, when gency heat requests, accord- ceives a total of about $2,000 plan to help them manage ance, and a voucher was is- temperatures plummet and ing to Director Kevin Howell. per month in Social Security their propane expense. But sued to the couple to ensure energy bills rise, there are se- Howell described how an and retirement pensions, when the couple failed to the propone account was up niors like this couple living all older couple in their 70s from Howell said. honor the plan agreement, the to date. around us who feel the strain Wedgefield recently visited “They are still paying a entire balance became due, “We were also able to pro- of increasing expenses for a the ministry with an urgent mortgage on their home, and Howell said. vide food and referrals to re- plea for help. The couple re- they receive no other form of “Suddenly, the couple owed sources for less-expensive SEE FIRESIDE, PAGE A7 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B4 WEATHER, A10 INSIDE Dorothy S. Hamilton Ernest L. McKnight A BIT COOLER 2 SECTIONS, 16 PAGES the .com VOL. 123, NO. 73 Cary L. Stephens Sr. George H. Smith Cooler with plenty of sunshine; Louise B. Kelly Toshie Waymer clear and cold tonight Classifieds B6 Sports B1 Maggie Copeland Frances Koelzer HIGH 51, LOW 21 Comics A8 Television B5 Patricia Hodge Marvin Hammett Maurice A. Hudson Ella J. Bowman Opinion A9 A2 | TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Capt. Robert Johnson, a Wireless industry: Court orders veteran of 15 years as a corrections officer at Lee Correctional Institu- tion near Bishopville, is needed to block prison calls thought to be the first U.S. corrections officer harmed by a hit or- dered from an inmate’s BY MEG KINNARD ‘This is just more of the same from the cellphone. Early one Associated Press morning in his Sumter cellphone industry. They’re putting the home, Johnson was COLUMBIA — As prison shot six times, left for officials combat contraband almighty dollar in front of the safety and dead and had to be re- cellphones in the hands of suscitated several the nation's inmates, a wire- times. less trade group says court security of staff and the public safety in AP FILE PHOTO orders should be required to shut down the devices. general.’ its federal institutions but haven't seized phones they In a letter sent earlier this hasn't routinely done so — suspect to be in inmates' month to the Federal Com- BRYAN STIRLING recently conducted a test at hands, devices that mimic munications Commission, a prison in Maryland, some- cell towers could allow offi- Patrick Donovan of the Cel- S.C. Corrections director thing Assistant U.S. Attor- cials to capture a list of all lular Telecommunications ney General Beth Williams cell numbers within an insti- Industry Association wrote told AP represented "a big tution, a list they could then that judicial review will pro- their institutions by the said it can't permit jamming step" and could lead to the compare to known numbers, vide a way to shut down the thousands, by visitors, er- in state prisons, citing a de- broader use of such technol- like those belonging to em- devices while not interfering rant employees, and even de- cades-old law that prohibits ogies. ployees. with legitimate cellphone livered by drone — are dan- interruption of the airwaves Donovan attached to his "It's unattainable," Stirling, calls nearby. gerous because inmates use at state-level institutions. letter a proposed order that one of the nation's most "A court order process is them to plot violence and But the agency has been states could use as a model vocal prison system direc- part of the checks and bal- carry out crimes. softening on the issue, for their own efforts, calling tors on the need for a cell- ances traditionally imposed Some advocate signal jam- thanks to persistent pleas it "appropriate to protect phone solution, told AP, of when government seeks to ming as a way to fix the from officials including lawful users' interests in CTIA's proposal. "This is just compel private sector action problem. But industry South Carolina Gov. Henry their wireless service and to more of the same from the in the law enforcement con- groups like CTIA, which rep- McMaster, his Corrections avoid any risk to legitimate cellphone industry. They're text," Donovan wrote, adding resents wireless service pro- director, Bryan Stirling, as users that could arise from putting the almighty dollar that the requirement "will viders, have long said that, well as members of Con- wrongful disruption of their in front of the safety and se- provide a meaningful level while they support efforts to gress including Tennessee wireless service." curity of our staff and the of assurance that the target- cut out inmates' illegal calls, Rep. David Kustoff. Donovan wrote that it public safety in general." ed device is in fact contra- they worry signal-blocking FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is would be a temporary re- CTIA representatives band." technologies could thwart hosting a meeting on the straining order compelling didn't respond to questions State and federal prison of- legal calls. issue next month. The U.S. carriers to block services to as to whether they would be ficials have said that the The FCC, which regulates Bureau of Prisons — which specific cellphone numbers.