WHAT A COLD DAY! TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL ONLY HIT 13 DEGREES BUT WITH WEST WINDS AROUND 14 MPH COULD MAKE WIND CHILL VALUES AS LOW AS -13. TONIGHT’S OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL DROP TO 6 DEGREES AND WIND CHILL VALUES WILL BE AT -5. AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVING THROUGH THE REGION WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW TO THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY.
WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS CAUSED THREE MAJOR PILEUPS YESTERDAY. A 52 VEHICLE PILEUP OCCURRED AROUND NOON ON I-75 NEAR MIDDLETOWN THAT INJURED ABOUT NINE PEOPLE, ALTHOUGH NONE OF THE INJURIES WERE LIFE-THREATENING. ABOUT THE SAME TIME, AS MANY AS 86 CARS AND TRUCKS WERE COLLIDING ON I-275 NEAR THE COLERAIN AVENUE EXIT JUST NORTH OF CINCINNATI. A 12 YEAR OLD GIRL WAS KILLED IN THAT PILEUP AND ABOUT 20 PEOPLE WERE INJURED. A THIRD ACCIDENT INVOLVING AS MANY AS 20 VEHICLES HAPPENED AROUND 12:30PM ON I-270 SOUTH NEAR WESTERVILLE. THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH SAYS THREE PEOPLE WERE TAKEN TO HOSPITALS WITH MINOR INJURIES. PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHEN OUT DRIVING IN WINTERY CONDITIONS!
AN ANNUAL EFFORT TO LOCATE AND COUNT HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN OHIO IS BEING HELD BEGINNING TONIGHT. THE “POINT IN TIME” HOMELESS COUNT IS DONE SO THAT PRIVATE AND PUBLIC AGENCIES CAN USE THE RESULTS TO BETTER ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS IN THE STATE OF OHIO. ERIC MULRYAN WITH THE COALITION ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING IN OHIO SAYS THEY COUNTED ALMOST 14,000 PEOPLE LAST YEAR – SOME LIVING ON THE STREETS, IN THEIR CARS OR IN EMERGENCY SHELTERS OR TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAMS.
HOMELESS PROGRAMS IN THE STATE’S LARGER URBAN COUNTIES COORDINATE THEIR OWN HOMELESS COUNTS, AND IN THE SMALLER COUNTIES, THE COUNTS ARE DONE BY VOLUNTEERS WHO WORK WITH LOCAL HOMELESS PROVIDERS. COUNTS BEGIN AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AND END JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT TOMORROW. THE COUNTS HELP ENSURE THAT THOSE WHO HELP THE HOMELESS ARE RESPONDING ADEQUATELY TO THE NEEDS, AND THEY ALSO HELP TO TRACK PROGRESS LOCALLY. MULRYAN SAYS THEY BREAK DOWN THE NUMBERS BY HOMELESS FAMILIES, INDIVIDUALS AND CHILDREN, TO SEE WHICH GROUPS MAY NEED MORE ATTENTION. POINT-IN-TIME COUNTS ARE HELD NATIONWIDE IN JANUARY AND ARE REQUIRED FOR HOMELESSNESS PROGRAMS THAT RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDING FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT. LET’S REMEMBER TO PRAY AND DO WHAT WE CAN AS WELL FOR THE HOMELESS…ESPECIALLY DURING THESE FRIGID DAYS AND NIGHTS!
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD HAS APPROVAL TO DO A PILOT TEST ON THE KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM. DOLLARS EARNED WITH THIS PROGRAM CAN HELP THE OPERATION CHRISTMAS TEAM WITH EXPENSES, PACKING PARTIES, OR SHIPPING EXPENSES FOR CHRISTMAS SHOEBOXES. HERE IS HOW IT WORKS: GO TO: WWW.KROGER.COM AND CLICK ON THE SIGN IN BUTTON. CLICK ON COMMUNITY, AND YOU WILL FIND THESE DIRECTIONS: “ARE YOU A MEMBER LOOKING TO REGISTER/LINK YOUR KROGER PLUS CARD?” CLICK THE ENROLL NOW BUTTON NEXT TO YOUR LOCATION…OUR REGION’S ORGANIZATION NUMBER IS: 83435. THEN CLICK ENROLL! YOU CAN GO SHOPPING AND EARN MONEY FOR OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD! FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL MARCEY PAGE AT 937/374-0761, EXT. 1755. IF YOU MISSED THAT INFORMATION, GO ON-LINE TO OUR WEEC WEBSITE AT: WWW.WEEC.ORG CLICK ON RESOURCES THEN NEWS.
TONIGHT IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER COLD NIGHT…WITH LOWS DROPPING TO AROUND 3 DEGREES AND WIND CHILL VALUES AS LOW AS -6. SNOW SHOWERS ARE LIKELY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH HIGHS REACHING 21 DEGREES AND WIND CHILL VALUES AS LOW AS -7. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL DROP TO 11 WITH WIND CHILL VALUES AROUND ZERO. THURSDAY BRINGS SUNSHINE AND HIGHS NEAR 26 DEGREES. SNOW IS PROBABLE ON THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY! TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN COLD THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
PLEASE DRESS WARM IF YOU NEED TO BE OUTSIDE AND DRIVE CAREFULLY!!
