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Winter weather grips nation Emergency shelter fills Wednesday; donations sought
Cold causes fatalities, closings across U.S.
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umter United Ministries’ Emergency Shelter was filled to capacity Wednesday night as the temperature dipped into the teens. “Surprisingly, we did not have to activate overflow, but Jehovah (Missionary Baptist Church) is on standby,” said the Rev. Walter Robertson, director of the shelter, Thursday. “We know that might change tonight.” The eight women and 20 men had the option of staying inside Thursday as two regPHOTOS BY KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM ular volunteers — Rick Ayers and Bill Ice encases a holly berry in Memorial Park in downtown Sumter on Thursday. Langford — offered to keep the shelter open all day. Typically, the residence formerly known as Samaritan’s House is only open at night from 6 o.m. to 7 a.m., according to unitedministriessumter.org. “If the high is close to freezing, that’s when we try to stay open during the day,” Robertson said. Shoney’s and Murrell’s Cleaning Service provided breakfast and lunch for the guests Thursday, he said. Even if it’s not open all day, the shelter may open a couple of hours early during cold weather. “We’re taking it one day at a time,” Robertson said. What the residents really need now are hats and gloves, especially larger sized men’s gloves, he said. They could also use warm coats, especially for the men as Robertson’s sister, a manager at a local store, was able to donate some women’s coats recently “Most of the guys seem to have a jacket but not necessarily coats to deal with the cold,” he said. “Coats would be greatly appreciated.” Donations may be dropped off at Sumter United Ministries, 36 Artillery Drive. If you do have a home or business, do turn your sprinkler systems off. Several local businesses did not shut off their sprinkler system Wednesday, said Paula Cearley with SCDOT Sumter Maintenance on Thursday, and because of below-freezing Richard Murrell spoons out vegetable soup as United Ministries Emergency director, the Rev. temperatures, there are roadways that are
Walter Robertson, helps distribute it Thursday afternoon. Murrell made the food donation SEE SHELTER, PAGE A8 with the help of his church, Trinity United Methodist Church.
(AP) — Dangerously cold air has sent temperatures plummeting into the single digits across the U.S., with wind chills driving them even lower. Throw in the snow some areas are getting, and you’ve got a bone-chilling mix that may also be super messy. The result? School delays and cancellations, a fatal car pileup and worries about the homeless. Here’s a look at what’s happening:
DELAYING AND CANCELING SCHOOL School districts from the South to the Northeast and Midwest delayed the start of classes or canceled school altogether. Wind-chill readings were at or below zero in such places as Alabama and North Carolina, along with a chunk of the Midwest, the Plains and the Northeast. The wind chill was minus 40 in Saranac Lake in upstate New York on Thursday morning. In northwest Georgia, schools in Catoosa County had a twohour delayed start on Thursday because of temperatures expected to top out at 27 degrees and dip as low as minus 2 degrees with wind chills. Many other cities modified school schedules, including Detroit, where it was 3 degrees early Thursday. Students got the day off Thursday at Detroit Public Schools, the state’s largest district, and at many other districts across Michigan. School districts also closed schools in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Pennsylvania and Maine.
COMMUTER FRUSTRATION Below-freezing temperatures
SEE COLD, PAGE A6
Legislators focus on revamping DOT, roads BY RICK CARPENTER rick@theitem.com A group of state legislators attending a legislative workshop told the South Carolina press Thursday they will focus funding priorities on transportation infrastructure. State Rep. Gary Simrill, RYork, said he plans to introduce a bill that would alter the governance structure of the Department of Transportation, cede some roads to county government and shift the taxing mechanisms by removing tax exemptions on wholesale gas sales while also reducing the gas tax at the pump for consumers. Earlier this year, DOT said it needs about $1.5 billion a year just to maintain its current roads. The governor appoints a secretary of transportation. At the same time, an eightperson commission composed of one representative of each of the state’s seven congressional districts and one position appointed by the governor governs the state DOT.
The secretary of transportation serves as the chief administrative officer of DOT, which carries out the policies of the commission. The secretary also deals with state agencies, local governments, special districts, other states and the federal government on behalf of DOT. Simrill said he sees a way to become more efficient by having the governor’s appointment serve on the commission that votes on a chairman, and that chairman would be the lone voice of the commission. When a reporter asked about the South Carolina Association of Counties’ recent statement saying counties didn’t want the roads, Simrill asked, “Can you tell me one thing they are for?” Later, he said, “We did come to you with an idea; at least that’s a start.” State Sen. Brad Hutto, DOrangeburg, said he had a better idea. He said that Interstate 95 serves as the major transportation route for tourists traveling between New York
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SEE LEGISLATORS, PAGE A8
KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM
Two vehicles were involved in this wreck on U.S. 378 late Thursday morning after a Dodge truck dropped a ladder in the roadway.
Dropped ladder leads to wreck BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com Two motorists were involved in a wreck on U.S. 378 late Thursday morning when a Dodge truck dropped a ladder in the roadway, South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. David Jones said. “The Dodge truck spilled a ladder and a Ford Fusion swerved to avoid striking it,”
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and Florida. To help solve the transportation budget shortfall, he suggested putting a toll booth on the bridge over Lake Marion. He said between 80,000 and 100,000 vehicles a day cross that bridge and there’s no other way around it. Transportation dominated the first panel discussion of legislators brought together for the workshop by S.C. Press Association, S.C. Broadcasters Association and The Associated Press. Local Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, led a discussion on the need to address the number of patients who end up in correctional institutions when they primarily need to address mental health issues. Legislators agreed that when budgets were cut during the recent economic recession, mental health agencies took the biggest cut. As a result, many of the patients ended up in Department of Corrections facilities. “Why aren’t we dealing
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Jones said. “By that time the truck had come almost to a complete stop, and the Fusion collided with the truck.” The truck went off the road into the median, and the Ford Fusion went off the road on the right side, he said. Traffic in both directions was stopped for a short period after the wreck which happened at about 11:35 a.m. Jones said.
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Partly sunny and warmer today, but clear and cold tonight with slight chance of precipitation. HIGH 46, LOW 23
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