The Sumter Item

📰 Our top headlines for the Weekend edition. theitem.com/stories/saturd…

Clarendon County coroner released the name and ages of the victims in a fatal wreck that occurred Friday afternoon. theitem.com/stories/mother…

A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a seven-count indictment, presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, charging a 29-year-old man, of Florence, for physically assaulting minor victims. theitem.com/stories/former…

"It's a really good day to be a Sumter fireman," said the Rev. David Bagwell, Sumter Fire Department chaplain and volunteer fire captain at County Fire Department Station 6, after a ribbon cutting for the new Dalzell station. "The future is bright." theitem.com/stories/new-fi…

Michael Pearson has filed a lawsuit against City of Sumter, Clarendon County and multiple state and local agencies, alleging he was wrongfully convicted in 2012 and imprisoned for 15 years for a crime he maintains he did not commit. theitem.com/stories/pearso…

#NEXTGEN: For Wilson Hall's Liz Singkhonket, her artwork starts where, for a lot of teens, stories get complicated: finding our identity. Navigating it is filled with highs and lows; but she finds her way through the power of the color palette. theitem.com/stories/sumter…

Col. Kevin D. Hicok, commander of the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, announced he will move on to another assignment this summer and 20th Fighter Wing Deputy Commander Col. Hugh "Hoot" Walker will be his successor. theitem.com/stories/20th-f… pic.twitter.com/MRVxDO2dbz

Civil rights leader Jim Felder, after being recognized during Sumter City Council's Legacy of Excellence on Feb. 17, took the time to reflect on the legacy and friendship with the late Rev. Jesse Jackson who passed away earlier that day at age 84. theitem.com/stories/sumter…

📰 Read in this Wednesday’s edition: - Recap of 2026 Commander’s Breakfast - Update on fetus found at water treatment plant - Michael Pearson sues agencies for alleged wrongful conviction And more. theitem.com/stories/wednes…

A 2-year-old Clarendon County case came to a close Wednesday morning as a Sumter judge handed down a sentence in the 2023 killing of 71-year-old Henry Allen. theitem.com/stories/claren…

Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis told Sumter County councilmembers that "aggressive" enforcement and targeted strategies shaped how the agency responded to crime in 2025. theitem.com/stories/violen…

An automotive salvage yard at 187 S. Lafayette Drive in the City of Sumter received special exception approval from Sumter City-County Board of Zoning Appeals on Wednesday, Feb. 11, amid turnout of dozens of people opposed to it. theitem.com/stories/propos…

A 54-year-old man was killed the evening of Feb. 14 on Red Bay Road while attempting to cross the road, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol. theitem.com/stories/1-dead…

SLED is assisting with an investigation after a fetus was found at a local water treatment plant Friday morning. theitem.com/stories/fetus-…

A Manning man was denied bond Wednesday morning after being charged in connection to a fight that fatally injured a Sumter man. theitem.com/stories/mannin…

Sumter High has its next football coach, and it didn’t have to look far to find him. Former Gamecock assistant Drew Marlowe, who claimed two SCHSL 4A state championships as the head coach at South Florence, is coming back to his roots. theitem.com/stories/gameco…

"I've always been a dreamer, and I'm most looking forward to seeing those dreams come true while [shining] light on the people and places that have helped me along the way," said Sumterite Tianna Roberts, a contestant on season 24 of American Idol. theitem.com/stories/sumter…

Three cabinet-level career educators, two based in the Midlands and one in a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, are the finalists for Sumter School District's superintendent position. theitem.com/stories/school…

📰Sumter school board names 3 superintendent finalists and a familiar face returns to the Gamecocks sidelines. Plus, a military spouse gets candid about restarting her career. Read those and more in Wednesday's edition of The Sumter Item. theitem.com/stories/wednes…

Deputies with Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in the 1300 block of Pinecrest Acres where they found a white Jeep Cherokee and a male victim in its front passenger seat with a gunshot wound. theitem.com/stories/1-dead…