TEMPERATURES CONTINUE VERY COLD! WIND CHILL VALUES TODAY WILL BE AT ZERO. WITH THE COLD TEMPERATURES WE NEED TO REMEMBER A FEW THINGS. LET’S START WITH OUR PETS! BRIAN WELTGE, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF GREATER DAYTON SHARES THESE TIPS: DURING THE COLD, EXCEPT FOR SHORT PERIODS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO BRING YOUR PETS INDOORS. IF A DOG MUST BE OUTSIDE, PROVIDE IT WITH A WELL-EQUIPPED SHELTER, DRY, DRAFT-FREE, THAT IS LARGE ENOUGH FOR THE DOG TO TURN AROUND, BUT SMALL ENOUGH TO HOLD THE BODY HEAT. THE FLOOR SHOULD BE RAISED A FEW INCHES OFF THE GROUND AND COVERED WITH CEDAR SHAVINGS OR STRAW. BE SURE TO CHECK FOOD AND WATER. PETS THAT SPEND A LOT OF TIME OUTDOORS WILL NEED MORE FOOD IN THE WINTER BECAUSE KEEPING WARM DEPLETES THEIR ENERGY. CHECK THE WATER DISH TO BE SURE THE WATER IS NOT FROZEN. DO NOT LET A PET HAVE ACCESS TO ANTIFREEZE WHICH HAS A SWEET TASTE THAT ATTRACTS ANIMALS, BUT IS POISONOUS TO THEM. KEEP THE ANIMAL’S FEET FREE OF SALT AND OTHER WINTER CHEMICALS AND ALWAYS CHECK YOUR CAR BECAUSE WARM ENGINES IN PARKED CARS CAN ATTRACT CATS AND SMALL WILDLIFE, WHICH MAY CRAWL UP UNDER THE HOOD. JUST BANGING ON YOUR CAR’S HOOD WILL CAUSE THEM TO FLEE BEFORE YOU START THE ENGINE.
NOW…ON TO THOSE VEHICLES AND COLD WEATHER…JEREMY ARMSTRONG, ASSISTANT MANAGER FOR GRISMER TIRE IN SPRINGFIELD SAYS WHEN THE TEMPERATURES ARE COLD, THINGS START WEARING OUT AND BREAKING A LOT SOONER. HE SAYS WHEN THE TEMPERATURES DIP BELOW FREEZING AS THEY HAVE THIS WEEK, OLD COOLANT AND ANTI-FREEZE CAN STOP WORKING. GET FLUIDS CHECKED BY A MECHANIC TO ENSURE THE BOILING AND FREEZING POINTS ARE AT ACCEPTABLE LEVELS. OTEHRWISE, THE COOLANT COULD FREEZE CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. THEN YOU COULD CRACK THE ENGINE BLOCK OR DAMAGE THE RADIATOR HOSES. COLD WEATHER ALSO REDUCES A CAR BATTERY’S ABILITY TO HOLD A CHARGE, RESULTING IN OLDER BATTERIES NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND A CAR NOT STARTING. ARMSTRONG SAYS TIRE PRESSURE AND TREAD DEPTH ARE ALSO IMPORTANT. A TIRE THAT IS NOT PROPERLY INFLATED WILL AFFECT MILEAGE AND WORN TIRES PROVIDE LESS TRACTION ON SNOW AND ICE. YOU CAN CHECK THOSE THINGS WITH A GAUGE THAT CAN BE PURCHASED AT ANY AUTO PARTS STORE. ARMSTRONG SAYS SIMPLE MAINTENANCE CAN SAVE THOUSANDS IN VEHICLE REPAIRS AND HEADACHES. HE SAYS, “IF YOU DO YOUR NORMAL MAINTENANCE, YOU’LL BE IN GOOD SHAPE FOR THE WINTER.”
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE HAS IMPOSED A CIVILIAN HIRING FREEZE ACCORDING TO A REPORT IN THE DAYTON DAILY NEWS. COME TEMPORARY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES COULD LOSE THEIR JOBS. THIS IS PART OF A SERIES OF SHORT-TERM SPENDING REDUCTIONS THE BASE WILL IMPOSE TO PREPARE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF DEEPER AIR FORCE BUDGET CUTS WITHIN WEEKS UNLESS CONGRESS AND PRESIDENT OBAMA REACH A DEAL BEFORE MARCH 1ST TO AVOID AUTOMATIC SPENDING REDUCTIONS KNOWN AS SEQUESTRATION. THE AIR FORCE MATERIEL COMMAND, THE ORGANIZATION WHICH OVERSEES THE BASE WITH A WORKFORCE OF 29,700 PEOPLE, ORDERED THE IMMEDIATE COST-CUTTING MEASURES ON WEDNESDAY AFTER A PENTAGON DIRECTIVE WAS ISSUED EARLIER THIS MONTH. THE COMMAND SHARED THAT IT HAS “NO CURRENT NEAR TERM PLANS TO FURLOUGH CIVILIANS” BUT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE LEADERS SAY 30-DAY FURLOUGHS, OR UNPAID TIME OFF, ARE POSSIBLE IF SEQUESTRATION IS NOT AVOIDED. GENERAL JANET WOLFENBARGER, AFMC COMMANDER SAID, “THESE NEAR-TERM ACTIONS ARE ONLY SMALL STEPS TOWARDS ABSORBING THE IMPACT. PLANNING IS UNDERWAY FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF LARGER REDUCTIONS.” THE BASE WILL RETAIN TEMPORARY OR TERM GOVERNMENT WORKERS WHO ARE “MISSION CRITICAL” IN AREAS SUCH AS LAW ENFORCEMENT, HEALTH CARE AND FLIGHT LINE OPERATIONS. COL. CASSIE BARLOW, COMMANDER OF THE 88TH AIR BASE WING WHICH RUNS BASE OPERATIONS SAID IN PREPARATION FOR THE CUTS, WRIGHT-PATTERSON HAS ALREADY REDUCED SPENDING ON OPERATIONS BY 20 PERCENT THIS YEAR.
ENON COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE APPROVED MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING WITH BOTH SPRINGFIELD AND FAIRBORN POLICE FOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS SERVICES. SPECIAL OPERATIONS TEAMS ARE TRAINED IN ARMED BARRICADED SUBJECTS, HOSTAGE SITUATIONS AND HIGH-RISK WARRANT SERVICE ACTIVITIES. THESE TEAMS ARE KNOWN AS SWAT TEAMS WHICH STANDS FOR SPECIAL WEAPONS AND TACTICS.
YOU ARE INVITED TO THE 5TH ANNUAL NEHEMIAH COMMUNITY PRAISE AND WORSHIP TO BE HELD AT FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH, 3638 MIDDLE URBANA ROAD IN SPRINGFIELD ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 25TH FROM 7-9PM. THERE WILL BE A VARIETY OF MUSIC INCLUDING TRADITIONAL HYMNS, CONTEMPORARY, ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY AND EVEN HIP HOP MUSIC! OVER 30 CHURCH CONGREGATIONS WILL BE REPRESENTED IN THE COMMUNITY CHOIR AND SPECIAL MUSIC PRESENTATIONS.
TWO STORM SYSTEMS WILL AFFECT THE AREA OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. THE FIRST WILL BRING SNOW TO THE AREA FROM FRIDAY MORNING TO FRIDAY NIGHT. PRESENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE ONE TO THREE INCHES. WITH THESE SNOW AMOUNTS IN THIS TIME PERIOD…HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS COULD OCCUR. THE SECOND STORM SYSTEM WILL ARRIVE SUNDAY NIGHT. IT LOOKS LIKE A PERIOD OF SNOW, SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT BEFORE CHANGING OVER TO ALL RAIN FOR THE DAY ON MONDAY. TEMPERATURES WARM SLIGHTLY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS WITH HGIHS TOMORROW AND SATURDAY AT 26 DEGREES GOING UP TO 30 ON SUNDAY. OVERNIGHT LOWS STILL WILL BE COLD, DIPPING INTO THE MID-TEENS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL NIGHTS.
