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Sumter may avoid heavy snowfall But black ice not out of the question BY KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY konstantin@theitem.com Snow flurries may develop in Sumter and parts of northern Clarendon and northern Lee counties today. Snow flurries are brief instances of snow with thin, single-flaked showers. The snow flurry will be less than half
an inch and, if it does occur, it’s supposed to stop about noon, according to Doug Anderson, meteorological technician for the National Weather Service in Columbia. “The biggest concern will be the slush that could develop as a result of
PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE INCLEMENT WEATHER BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com Sumter Police Department is advising residents who do not have to travel to stay at home until conditions improve. The department urges those who do travel to
check weather and road conditions before heading out. Winter weather updates can be found on www. weather.gov/cae/ and road conditions can be found on www.scdot.org. Residents can also check the police department’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ sumterscpolice for local updates.
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Big snowstorm hits millions of Americans WASHINGTON (AP) — One in seven Americans will get at least half a foot of snow outside their homes when this weekend’s big storm has finished delivering blizzards, gale-force winds, white-out conditions and flooding to much of the eastern United States. But in the nation’s capital, the snowstorm promised to leave a cause a much bigger problem. The first flakes of what could become two feet or more of wet, driving snow began falling in Washington just after 1 p.m., sloshing in from the Ohio River Valley looking just like the forecasts promised. Conditions quickly became treacherous as the storm moved northeast. Arkansas and Tennessee got eight inches; Kentucky got more than a foot; and states across the Deep South grappled with icy, snow-covered roads and power outages. At least eight people died in traffic fatalities in the dangerous weather. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser asked residents to “hunker down” and “shelter in place” through Sunday. “The forecast does not show any evidence of lightening up,” she said, stressing the “life and death implications.” The good news? Meteorologists appear to have gotten this storm right. Their predictions converged, and millions of people got KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM
SEE STORM, PAGE A7 Lee County residents buy groceries Friday evening as ice builds on the trees in Bishopville.
Breathing new life into the new year Manning woman undergoes double-lung transplant surgery BY KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY konstantin@theitem.com Manning resident Melissa Eaddy Ridgeway has received a new set of lungs. About a year ago, her lung capacity had been reduced to 20 percent, and doctors told her she only had a few months to live. On Jan. 7, just three days after she was placed on the donor list, she found out that a match had been found. After receiving a double-lung transplant on Jan. 8, Ridgeway is PHOTO PROVIDED now breathing at 97 percent. Melissa Ridgeway, right, with her husband, Ricky, “It feels surreal,” she said. “It’s are seen at at Medical University of South Carolina like an out of body experience; it’s Transplant Center, post-surgery. Ridgeway received hard to explain the feeling of hava double-lung transplant on Jan. 8. ing someone’s lungs, and I am
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thankful for this gift.” In April 2014, Ridgeway, 56, was diagnosed with interstitial lung disease. “It felt like I was given a death sentence,” Ridgeway said, in a November 2015 interview with The Sumter Item. Interstitial lung disease describes a large group of disorders characterized by progressive scarring of the lung tissue between the air sacs. In less than a year’s time, Ridgeway was able to improve her lung function capacity to 50 percent through rehabilitation. Doctors told her it was unlikely, however, that Ridgeway’s lungs would improve further, and she would have to continue living on oxygen. The only option to restore her to
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full health was to successfully undergo a double-lung transplant, she said. Today, Ridgeway said she feels well, is off oxygen and getting stronger every day. Ridgeway and her husband, Ricky, have temporarily moved to West Ashley, as Ridgeway is required to live close enough to Medical University of South Carolina, where she will be undergoing rehabilitation. Getting placed on the donor list wasn’t an easy task, however, she said. MUSC had estimated a total of about $25,000 that Ridgeway needed for a three-month stay in Charleston. The couple needed enough funds to pay bills at both their home in Manning and rent in West Ashley as well as medication, food, gas and other living expenses. Through various fundraisers and donations, $30,000 was raised. “I’m flabbergasted at how quickly everything happened and am truly blessed,” she said.
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Showers of rain and snow possible today; becoming partly cloudy tonight. HIGH 41, LOW 26
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