Groundsman extraordinaire: R.E. Davis staff member Fulton McFadden is district’s longest-serving employee

Groundsman Fulton McFadden with R.E. Davis College Preparatory Academy has been helping maintain schools in Sumter School District for decades, inside and out. He has spent more than 50 years with Sumter School District 2 and Sumter School District.
One thing that Fulton McFadden will tell you is that he is not afraid of hard work. It is about all he has ever known. Working since the age of 16, McFadden is the R.E. Davis College Preparatory Academy groundsman, and with more than 50 years of …
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SPORTS
Arts & Entertainment

Summer Movie Guide: What's in theaters and streaming in May and June

LOS ANGELES - Are you ready for some movies this summer? There will be action-adventure, romance, horror, franchises and anniversary re-releases of some of your favorites in theaters and on streaming services from May through June. You just have to …

Nation & World
Fed Reserve's preferred inflation gauge shows price pressures stayed elevated last month

WASHINGTON - A measure of inflation closely tracked by the Federal Reserve remained uncomfortably high in March, likely reinforcing the Fed's reluctance to cut interest rates any time soon and underscoring a burden for President Joe Biden's …

Average long-term U.S. mortgage rate climbs for 4th-straight week to highest level since November LOS ANGELES - The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate climbed this week to its highest level since late November, another setback for home shoppers in what's traditionally the housing market's busiest time of the year. The average rate on a …
About 1 in 4 U.S. adults 50 and older who aren't yet retired expect to never retire, AARP study finds WASHINGTON - About one-quarter of U.S. adults age 50 and older who are not yet retired say they expect to never retire and 70% are concerned about prices rising faster than their income, an AARP survey finds. About 1 in 4 have no retirement …
Surging auto insurance rates squeeze drivers, fuel inflation NEW YORK - Relentlessly rising auto insurance rates are squeezing car owners and stoking inflation. Auto insurance rates rose 2.6% in March and are up 22% from a year ago. Premium costs have been marching steadily higher since 2022, even as …
U.S. announces new Patriot missiles for Ukraine as part of new $6 billion aid package WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. will provide Ukraine additional Patriot missiles for its air defense systems as part of a massive $6 billion additional aid package, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin …
State News
DHEC launches overdose biosurveillance dashboard to tackle drug overdose epidemic

COLUMBIA - The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control recently launched an Overdose Biosurveillance Dashboard in an effort to make state- and county-level data on non-fatal opioid overdoses …

South Carolina Senate approves $15.4B budget after debate on bathrooms and conference switching COLUMBIA (AP) — The South Carolina Senate approved its budget Wednesday after debating items like requiring school children use the bathrooms of their sex assigned at birth and whether …
South Carolina Senate wants accelerated income tax cut while House looks at property tax rebate COLUMBIA (AP) — The South Carolina Senate started debating a budget Tuesday that accelerates a planned income tax cut instead of the House plan to use $500 million to give homeowners a one-time …
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life GOOSE CREEK (AP) — Out of air and pinned by an alligator to the bottom of the Cooper River in South Carolina, Will Georgitis decided his only chance to survive might be to lose his arm. The …
South Carolina making progress to get more women in General Assembly and leadership roles COLUMBIA (AP) — At first glance, the all-male South Carolina Senate subcommittee deciding whether to approve a proposal to remove the sales tax from feminine hygiene products was a reminder …
Obituaries
ROBERT LEE SIMON

Robert Lee Simon, 83, husband of Elizabeth Jefferson Simon and son of the late Allison Williams and Mary Simon Cooper, was born on July 23, 1940, in Sumter County. He departed this life on Friday, …

BRANDON RINAAD CRUSE

Brandon Rinaad Cruse, 40, son of the late John Leroy Cruse and Rosalind Veonia Kelley Cruse, was born on Dec. 27, 1983, in Guam, USA. He departed this life on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at Prisma …

DURELL ANTONIE MOORE

Durell Antonie Moore, 54, son of Carolyn Sallie and the late Robert Anthony Moore, was born on March 18, 1970, in Mount Vernon, New York. He departed this life Thursday, April 25, 2024, at Prisma …

SANDERS

JOSEPHINE T. SANDERS

Josephine T. Sanders, affectionately known as “Joe or Queen Josephine”, was born June 20, 1941, in Hagood to the late Leroy Hickman Sr. and Sinna Thomas Gilliard. She departed this …

LESLEY HAYNESWORTH JR.

Lesley “Shunny” Haynesworth Jr., affectionately known as “Jumping John”, was born on April 23, 1934, to the late Lesley Haynesworth Sr. and Wilhelmenia Jackson Haynesworth in …

Faith
Column: Control your thoughts or they will control you We all know the feeling of having something on our minds that we have a difficult time letting go of. Similar to an image or a catchy song that gets stuck in our head, commonly called an earworm, negative thoughts can be very difficult to remove, …
The Rev. Dr. Clay Smith: Spewing liver I realize most of you grew up in tasteful families with genteel manners, where everyone was born knowing which fork to use for dessert and which fork to use for salad. I grew up in a family that was proud to have forks. We did have some couth. …
Column by First Presbyterian Church Pastor Stewart Rawson: We can build a better community if we try a little harder to be kind My name is Stewart Rawson, and I am the new pastor at First Presbyterian Church here in Sumter. It is my privilege and honor to serve this historic church, and I will look forward to working hard to maintain its commitment to this community. It is …
Healing Guatemala through prayer, teamwork and intentionality Missionary trips are more than just medical missions; these trips are transformative and focus on intentionality, teamwork and gratitude. Twenty-two mission team members, many from Sumter, spent a week in Guatemala seeing approximately 750 …
Celebrations
Dear Abby
Pets for adoption
Cai is the sweetest boy and a friend to everyone

Cai is a 4-year-old, tan-and-black male golden retriever/German shepherd mix. He is neutered and is the sweetest boy you'll ever meet. Cai has a loving and fun personality and enjoys everyone he …

Engagements
Welch-Barwick Allison Lynn Welch of Sumter and Stephen Daniel Barwick of Dalzell announce their engagement. The bride-elect is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Welch and the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. William R. Tschorn Sr. and the late Mr. and Mrs. …
Townes-Lewis Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Mark Townes of Sumter announce the engagement of their daughter, Whitney Elizabeth Townes of Charleston, to Walter Elliot Lewis of Charleston, son of Ms. Karen Lewis of Jackson, Georgia. The bride-elect is the granddaughter …
Reflections

Reflections by Sammy Way: United Service Organizations also known as 'home away from home'

Reflections remembers one of the most important aspects of assisting and providing recreational and other services to military personnel assigned to numerous duty posts at home and abroad. This research focuses primarily on Sumter's commitment to …

Yesteryear
Yesteryear by Sammy Way: Horseshoe pitching tourney scheduled; Crime Stoppers telethon returns 75 YEARS AGO - 1949 Aug. 9 - 15 - Rufe Watson of Sumter set a new world record in the senior division at the National Skeet Shooting Association's tournament at Dallas, Texas, on Sunday. Watson copped the senior title in the all-gauge event by …
Yesteryear by Sammy Way: Shaw hosts surplus sale; city's 1st Easter egg hunt a success 75 YEARS AGO - 1949 Aug. 2 - 8 - Rebel third baseman Hal Harrigan last night hit his 29th home run of the season to tie the Tri-State league record set last year by Leon Cross of Florence. It was the only prize Anderson could salvage from a …
Yesteryear by Sammy Way: Train car is named for Sumter County; Lee builds new high school 75 YEARS AGO - 1949 July 26 - Aug. 1 - Sumter County runs from New York City to Florida these days, not as a result of "imperialistic conquest" but because of improved service on the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. It's a gag, of course. Truth …
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