[ lost audio ] -- record-breaking high possible, 79 by 4:00. but we could also see a little breaks of sunshine as we go into the afternoon and evening. now as you get ready to head out the door this morning, all the roads are wet. i-26, in between st. andrews

] the deadline for federal aid assistance for the flood is quickly approaching and many questions still remain. the emergency management division says one of the big problems is people who have damage don't think fema can help. but they say even if you have been denied once, you can still call fema if you have a new problem pop up. the key is to register now and get your number in case you have additional issues come up. >> between october 4th and october 23rd, that's the disaster period you would be eligible for. however, we've had a lot of rain since then. there could be some precipitating factor, pre- existing damage that occured in

october that led to the damage now. >> january 3rd is the final day to apply through fema. you can go to our web site, wltx.com for more information on how to register. in orangeburg county the man accused in the murder of a holly hill woman is expected in court today. deputies say 45-year-old harold pratt and the victim loretta bunch were involved in an argument before bunch disappeared around christmas. investigators found bunch's body yesterday in a water way off highway 453. they believe she was shot to death. pratt has been charged with her murder. meanwhile richland county deputies arrested a man they say shot another man after an argument. the shooting happened just before 5:00 sunday on 1100 block of antioch church.

wife was outside the home when the victim and another person stopped and exchanged words with the victim. a midlands couple continues to recover after a fire killed 11 of their animals they rescued and were caring for. >> i knew it was too late. >> it's just, i don't even know what i'm doing right now, because i'm used to having them. >> reporter: lane and carrie sadly describe their christmas nightmare. >> we lost 11 animals. >> reporter: while they were in charleston, a fire broke out at their home where they rescued animals. >> there's no getting over this. this is going to be a starting

point in our life. there's no getting over this. all we can do is move forward. >> reporter: two dogs, two power rots, a livered, bowia, four fer receipts and a kitten died in the fire. they had been caring for animals in their home since 2010. >> people would ask us questions and we'd try to answer questions and help them get cages, beds, whatever they needed. >> reporter: now, all there is is empty cages and deserted bowls. though they have lost so much, they say the pain won't stop them from doing what they love. >> without a doubt we will take anybody who needs to come. anybody we can afford to keep, anybody we can afford to take in. if we can't, we'll find them the best home we can imagine. >> the irmo fire department says the fire was possibly due

a few years ago a florida mother started thinking about her autistic daughter's future and it led her to brew up a business. >> reporter: inside this dealership, you'll find 20 beautiful cars, all of them with cup holders. good thing, because tucked away behind these high end cars are high end coffees. and more. >> chais, smoothies, sodas, waters. >> reporter: the drinks make this dealer different. many guests have no idea the hands that made them are a little different, too. >> takes them a little while to figure out. a few others, if they're not told we're on the spectrum, wouldn't think we were. >> probably don't realize 100% of the front line team members

a lot of them are surprised. >> i've come here multiple times to check my car and i never knew. >> that in itself is an art. probably don't exhibit the typical traits of a person diagnosed with autism. but you would think that they could catch it at least in the peripheral vision. >> reporter: it's been around four years, and started because find jobs. here they have one. and proving they have all the skills to keep one. >> i definitely have a different view for sure. >> for the most part they're as capable as any other person of having a job, having a life. >> what a great idea that is. by the way, there are 500,000 people with autism that will

turn 18 years old this year. the next total for the program is to open a training center to help get young people with autism in tampa on the road to employment. that brings us to our mom of the day who is doris johnson. doris is the mother of four and was nominated by her daughter. she tells us her mother is special because she works very hard to take care of her family. she is always there for her children and she's raised them to become beautiful young women, she says. they may not always show their gratitude, but she means the world to her children. congratulations, doris. if you would like to nominate a mom, head over to wltx.com and click on the banner to send in your nomination. now it's time for the word of the day. today's word is wing ding. it's slang for noisy, exciting

celebration or party, or it can mean a fit of anger or rage. you can use wing ding today when chatting around the water coolers. coming up, we talked to one of the bands who will be performing for the famously hot new year's eve celebration. >> if you're sick and tired of the rain, plan for the weekend. we're going to see a lot of

winter temperat hey, guys, it's annie. now, if you're anything like me, you're always looking for ways to save money, especially when it comes to your weekly grocery trip. well, with walmart every day low prices, saving money while keeping the pantry full... that's easier than you think. moms in the columbia area, doing your grocery shopping every week with walmart every day low prices could help you stretch your budget. your family and your wallet will be glad you did. so head to walmart and see what you could save with their

i was talking to someone yesterday and they said they believe they were begin to get seasonal effectctdisorder cause they had not seen the sun in a while. they were joking of course. it's been miserable, it really has. we were supposed to have a wetter winter and a coolol winter. obviously ononof them i iwrong. >> something is wrong there. >> it's been over two weeks we've had 70-degree highs and it's not going anywhere any time soon. not only is the warm temperatures not going anywhere any time soon, neither is the rain, as the rain continues to fall throughoututthe palmetto state. heaviest concentration pretty

much in the central part of the state into the midlands. a lot of showers moving generally to the northeast at about 30 miles per hour. heaviest concentration of light to moderate showers through central parts of lexington county, into richland county and letting up a little bit as we get into parts of kershaw, lee and north sumter county. outside of that we've all had a healthy dosage of rain and also of very warm temperatures. 72 in eastern and southern midlands. 68 in winnsboro. 66newberry. lexington 72. columbia at 71. light rainfall coming down. winds out of the south at 10 miles per hour. all of this, the focal part, is because of a stationary boundary trying to sink its way down. we have an approaching cold front. as the cold front gets through it will stall out from the upstate to savannah. will be sticking around for a while.

rain chances will continue throughout the morning. by midday, a little break in the ax, especially in the afternoon. we could see possibly sprinkles of sunshine, other than sprinkles that will continue into the overnight. not too bad until early morning hours, showers will redevelop and will continue not only throughout the morning but into the midday. as far as today is concerned, highs in the middle to upper 70s. a very warm day, and we could be breaking another high temperature in columbia. forecasting a high of 79 degrees. rain will continue in the morning but possibly tapering off in the afternoon. windy. overnight 65 with continuing light chance for showers as our lows generally in the midlands in the lower to middle 60s. as we get ready for famously hot new year's eve celebration, the chance of rain is slowly going down. right now it's just a slight, very slight chance of rain. models have been going back and forth.

52 mild degrees at midnight. but we'll still have the rain. rain for tomorrow will continue. high of 74. new year's eve day a high of 70 with a good chance of rain tapering off. the temperatures will start really dropping. lots of sunshine over the weekend. 52 a high saturday with a low of 38. by monday morning, could be waking up with a little bit of frost, lots of sunshine. 34 degrees to start off in the morning, then 45 the high on monday. as soon as we get into the weekend, weather will start looking a lot better and as of now, new year's eve is starting to get better and better. just a small chance of rain by midnight. >> we like that. could rain early in the day, cool everything off a little bit. just a little bit. this is my plan. and then everybody can go out and enjoy the new year's celebration, downtown. >> it could be a pretty good evening at midnight.

even if it doesn't, you can still watch us here, as we'll be showing it live. >> sure. anything is better than last year.

we'll take while many of us are just getting back from our holiday vacations, there were some people who didn't get a chance to go home at all. so to say thanks for their service, volunteers held a spaghetti dinner for 200 soldiers at fort jackson who couldn't leave. volunteers served food and gave gifts. for many, this was their first

time being away from home during christmas. one private decided not to go to her home in texas. >> i don't want to go home for the holidays to save money, save leave time. not get out of the routine from basic, so i don't break my routine. i have to come back and suffer all over again. >> this was the 6th year for the event. today is the last day to see the elgin lights christmas show. the creator paul towns has lived with cancer for over a decade now, but that hasn't stopped him. all the money raised helps kids with cancer to go to camp. the goal this year was $10,000, which they raised. tonight is the last night that you can catch the show, it's from 6:00 to 9:00, rain or shine.

that christmas tree, why not recycle it? keep midlands beautiful is sponsoring the grinding of the green. you can drop it off between now and january 7th and you can pick up free mulch saturday january 9th while that lasts. >> make sure you take off your lights, ornaments, remove it from the stand and you can drop it off at the location closest to you. we don't take wreaths or garland, just the christmas trees. >> for locations and times click on this story on our web site, wltx.com. the count down to 2016 is on. before the new year starts, the new year's eve party heats up. lauren hill is headlining. if you don't want to go out, you can count on news 19 to keep you in the know.

we'll keep you updated on all the preparations for the big show, and then you can watch our special coverage from 11:00 p.m. until 12:30 that morning. two bands also performing at the big famously hot new year's event are from the palmetto state. megan rivers join us with one of them. >> i'm joined with jill, justin and johnny. you guys will be performing up and opening up for miss hill. what are you looking forward to most? >> i'm looking forward to seeing her play. >> yeah. >> we're really exciting to be playing and to have been invited to play and open for her. i've been a fan for a long time. we're based here in south carolina. we're looking forward to the night as a whole. i think it will be really fun and positive environment. >> how long have you all been performing together? >> abououtwo years now. >> okay. >> and yeah, we kind of linked

up in charleston and started this project and have one record out, it's been out about a year and a half. been following the wave with that. >> jill, how did you find this band to open up? >> our state has been through a lot this year. we're thrilled to have miss hill as a headliner, but we wanted this event to be about south carolinaens coming together, communities supporting one another, so we're thrilled to have them with us. we've gotten a ton of great press. we're pleased they can join us and be a part of it. >> what time will the events begin that day? >> the first band will start around 6:30. events will be going on earlier in the day. there's a kid carnival on main street. there's also the ice skating rink in front of the columbia museum of art. the concert itself starts at 6:30 and will go until after

midnight. i did want to mention there's a $3 all you can ride bus service and park and ride, lots all over the city. please take advantage of that. we're encouraging people to use the bus system and be responsible that night. >> all right, folks, that's going to do it here. remember the coverage begins on wltx. you can tune in that night and i'm going to send things back to you all. all right. coming up, money man matt granite is helping us clean up the clutter caused by our tech

energy in 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 good morning and thanks for choosing news 19 this

choosing news 19 this morning. i'm mary sturgill. if you are just waking up with us, there is a good chance you are waking up to some rainy and muggy weather again today. meteorologist efren afante joins us now. efren, i know i've talked to several people who really want to see a little bit of sunshine today. at least sun. >> them, you, me, all of us. we're waiting for this rain to stop. the rain has been continuous throughout the morning. moving from northeast from the southwhwt to northeast, what we call entrtrnment, or contininng rain showers over the same areas. the heaviest is moving far to the far eastern aiken county into western orangeburg county. continuing rain in richland county, especially lower richland county, and moving to kershaw, sumter and lee counties. temperatures starting off very warm. almost 35 degrees warmer than where we should be. 72 in st. matthews. 70 camden. 70 aiken. 72 lexington. columbia now at 71 degrees. rain is still falling. winds out of the south at 10 miles per hour. we're expecting the rain to

continue this morning, but possibly start breaking up into the afternoon. could be looking at a record high of 79. it will be windy. 65 degrees tonight. continuing light rain showers and other than fog tomorrow morning, we'll have rain continuing with a high of 74 degrees. now as we look at the traffic conditions and beat the traffic, i-20 eastbound at mile marker 66, you can see a lot of rain has continued to fall. traffic now is slow. but it has been picking up. give yourself extra time. little bit of a delay heading north towards knox abbott on 321. shaw air force base to the fort jackson base, 29 minutes. give yourself extra time. a lot of the roadways in the central midlands now have ponding, so give yourself extra time and keep yourself safe. we'll look at the seven-day forecast coming up in just a few minutes. mary.

thank you, efren. taking a look at your headlines, tensions are high in cleveland, after a grand jury didn't indict two officers in the shooting death of tamir rice. prosecutors say the officer was justified in his actions because he believed the young boy was a threat. 18-year-old ethan couch was arrested monday after failing to show up for a hearing. he was sentenced to just 10 years probation following a drunk driving crash that killed four people. parts of the northeast are seeing the first snow of the winter season. it's the result of the deadly winter storm system punishing parts of the country. on monday the system dumped heavy snow and ice on the nation's midsection, sparking accidents and disrupting travel.

widespread flooding in the midwest and in the south. speaking of flooding, the deadline for federal aid assistance for the october flood is quickly approaching and many questions still remain as problems continue to rise. the emergency management division says one of the big problems is people who have damage don't think fema can help. but they say even if you've been denied for assistance once, you can still call fema if you have new problems cropping up. the emergency management division says the key is to register now and get your disaster assistance number just in case you have additional issues coming up after the deadline. >> between october 4th and october 23rd, that's the disaster period you would be eligible for. however, we've had a lot of rain since then. there could be some precipitating factor, some reexisting damage that occured in the month of october that led to the damage you're experiencing now, so we're encouraging people to register. >> january 3rd is the final date to apply through fema.

wltx.com, for more information on how to register. an investigation continues after more than 100 animals were taken from a home in north charleston. the charleston animal society had to stop taking other animals yesterday while they evaluateed them. 72 rabbits, 32 cats and four dogs were seized. the homeowner told deputies she was trying to help the animals but was in over her head. the ceo of the charleston animal society says authorities alerted them of the animals. >> deplore conditions. animals living in squalor, rotted hay, nasty food. some had wounds that were not treated. others were in generally good health. but most of the animals had some kind of illness or some type of injury. >> the incident remains under the investigation, but no arrest has been made.

to grieve after 11 of their animals were killed in a house fire christmas day. lane crenshaw and carrie bridge were visiting family members in charleston before coming back to columbia when they heard their home caught fire. they say they are heart broken. >> if i could have my babies back, it's just, i don't even know what i'm doing right now. because i'm so used to having them and they're not here. >> there's no getting over this. this is going to be a starting point in our life. there's no getting over this. all we can do is move forward. >> the pair says they were told that a heat lamp was the source of that fire and as the couple rebuilds they say they'll continue to take care of rescued animals. amazon says it added 3 million members to its prime subscription service in the days leading up to christmas and shipped a record number of items world wide during the

holidays. they say they now have tens of millions of members. if you're traveling for new year's, a new survey says miami beach is the most expensive u.s. destination to ring in 2016. hotel guests will have to shell out an average of 286 bucks a night. that's 300% more than regular january rates. los angeles ranks second, followed by new orleans at $249 a night. > day you can get d of almost every charger in your home. money man matt granite is here to lower your energy costs. >> great to be with you. i've brought back my favorite woman, grandma granite. we were discussing chargers, and this will replace every item in your household. what do you want to recharge? >> certainly my new camera.

>> this will not only help it charge faster but will cut down on your clutter. take a look. my favorite gadget will safely charge 10 different devices. the smart technology allows for faster, safer charges that save you both time, money and energy. android, apple, grandma granite's camera. this is my favorite gadget and deal of choice today for under 40 bucks and yes, it charges 10 devices at the same time. >> i just love this. >> i just love this. wltx.com, your source for savings. back to you. >> we love grandma granite, too. still to come, not all of us got to go home for christmas. how the community chipped in and helped soldiers at fort jackson who stayed behind. >> rain keeps falling throughout the midlands and we

will start welcome back to news 19. the time now is 6:40. rain continues throughout the middle, particularly in lexington, orangeburg county. moving through parts of orangeburg county, into norway, western ruffled county, into the lower richland county area, from east over to hopkins, moving into western sumter county and southern parts of kershaw. rain still continues. it's light to moderate rain. temperatures are still very warm. now 71 in lexington. 71 columbia. orangeburg 72. cooler in newberry at 68 degrees. the whole setup now is we have a stationary front sagging over the northern part of the state and an approaching cold front.

but as this makes it's way to the palmetto state it will stall out from the upstate to the lowcountry. so our rain chances will continue especially for today. highs from the middle to upper 70s. we could be breaking a record of 79 here in columbia. overnight tonight we'll still have rain showers and opportunities for light to moderate rain, lows in the lower to middle 60s. as we get ready for our famously hot new year, rain chances are going down. now a slight chance for rain by midnight 52 degrees. we're on track for a nice new year's eve. but we have to get through the rain. good chance of rain tomorrow, starting of a little bit of fog in the morning. high of 74. 70 new year's day. chances of rain will slowly diminish into the evening. and winter-type weather, we're looking at sunshine for the weekend and temperatures start dropping rapidly.

and by monday morning, 34 degrees. as we beat the traffic, i-20 eastbound over at mile marker 75, traffic has been picking up. roads are very wet, so give yourself a lot of extra time. further to the east a delay from wild cat to divine street and both directions especially westbound from i-77 on garners ferry. traveling from lake murray at i- 26, to the stadium, 22 minutes. airport to downtownwn16 minutes. there could bebepondndg on the

of hey, guys, it's annie. now, if you're anything like me, you're always looking for ways to save money, especially when

it comes to your weekly grocery trip. well, with walmart every day low prices, saving money while keeping the pantry full... that's easier than you think. moms in the columbia area, doing your grocery shopping every week with walmart every day low prices could help you stretch your budget. your family and your wallet will be glad you did. so head to walmart and see what you could save with their

3 while many of us are just getting back from ou

getting back from our christmas vacation, there are some people who never left. in fact, hundreds of troops from fort jackson weren't able to go home during the holidays. but the community stepped in to make sure they got a nice home cooked meal. >> i can't do what they do. this is the only way i feel like i can giving back. >> reporter: on monday night, one couple decided to invite troops to a spaghetti dinner. >> it's a home made recipe from our grandmother. we can't let the legacy die. we're leap to come out here and provide for these soldiers who will defend our country for us. >> reporter: more than 200 soldiers filled the gym at the our lady of the hills catholic church in columbia. >> it's an incredible feeling. >> reporter: one private

>> i don't want to go home to save money, save leave time. and not to get out of the routine. >> reporter: another private's home is in germany and decided to say back for the holidays. both she and watkins are thankful. >> we're grateful for what they've done for us. we feel like we haven't done much yet. when we walk in and everybody claps, it's so awesome. >> reporter: for many this was their first time away from home for the holidays. but for two who have been in the service for a few years, they know missing time with the family can come with the job. >> i was in the navy four years, so i've had a lot of holidays where i wasn't able to be home with my wife or family, but being here with everybody else, we actually build a family bond here. >> we went to a hockey game yesterday, basketball games coming up later on this coming week, and all the different

activities and everything, it's really nice to see how the community helps out as well. >> reporter: but to these soldiers, he says they shouldn't get discourageed. loren thomas, news 19. >> this is the 6th year for the event. if you are enjoying a real christmas tree this year, and you want to do that until the new year, experts warn against letting it dry out and becoming a fire hazard. a dry tree can burn very well. according to the national fire protection association, a dry tree can burn faster than newspaper. it's a good idea to recycle a tree when it starts dropping its needles. when you're ready to recycle, keep the midlands beautiful is sponsoring the grinding of the greens. you can drop your tree off from now through january 7th and then you can pick up free mulch while it lasts on saturday, january 9th. >> make sure you take off your

lights, ornaments, tinsel, that kind of thing, remove it from the stand and you can drop it off at the location closest to you. we don't take wreaths or garland, just the christmas trees. >> for locations and times for dropoff and the mulch pickup, click on this story at wltx.com. today is the last day to see the elgin lights christmas show. paul towns the founder has cancer and has not let this stop him. the funds go to send kids with chemo to camp. their goal of $10,000 has been raised. the show is from 6:00 to 9:00 tonight, rain or shine. before the new year starts,

this is video from last year. grammy award winning artist laurny hill is headlining. it is free for everyone. but if you don't want to go out, you can count on news 19 to keep you in the know. throughout the day on new year's eve we'll keep you updated on all the preparations for the big show. and then you can catch our special coverage from 11:00 p.m. until 12:30 that morning. if you do plan to party this new year's eve, and have a little fun, stay safe and catch a ride. the annual new year's eve free ride home returns. cabs will be throughout downtown from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. new year's day. the first ten dollars are covered as long as you're in richland or lexington county. you must call prior to the ride or let the driver know that you

are a kw beverage alert cab rider. all right, we'll be right back after this message. ahead on cbs this morning, we're in minnesota tracking heavy snow moving across the country, and we look at the spike in injuries from people looking at their phones instead

the news thanks for waking up with news 19 this morning. it is tuesday, december 29th. let's get to today's top stories. the man suspected of killing a holly hill woman and dumping her body in a swamp is expected in court today.

deputies say harold pratt and the victim, loretta bunch, were involved in an argument before bunch disappeared around christmas. her body was found yesterday in a water way off of highway 453. they believe she was shot to death. pratt has been charged with her murder. and deputies have arrested a man they say shot a man after an argument. investigators say his wife was outside of their home when the victim, keith pruitt, jr., started to exchange words with her. deputies say when the victim got out of his truck, the suspect shot him. he has been charged with murder. a number of west columbia residents will be under a boil water advisory starting tonight. the city of west columbia will cut off water service from 9:00 this morning until 7:00 tonight for certain water customers in lexington county. when the water is back on, you'll need to boil your water at least a minute before you use it. to find out if your address is on the list, head over to

you might want to load up the family and see the elgin christmas light show, tonight is your last opportunity. paul towns, the creator, has lived with cancer for over a decade, but that hasn't stopped him from setting up the lights. the money raised goes to send kids with cancer to camp chemo. this year he raised $10,000, which made it available to send 20 kids to the camp. they want to send even more, so again tonight is the last night you can catch the show from 6:00 to 9:00, rain or shine. we here at news 19 are sponsoring a new year new life blood drive this week, taking place tomorrow from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. it's in lexington, on sunset boulevard. all donors will receive a lunch coupon and a red cross long sleeved t-shirt. this is the third year for the blood drive. let's toss it over to efren for a look at your traffic as you head out the door. >> i-26 westbound, this is

actually going over in between piney grove and st. andrews road. traffic has been picking up. the roads are wet. but right now we're not seeing any delays on i-26. few delays now including an accident with injuries being reported now. this is on i-20, westbound. traffic is significantly backed up from augusta road to where the accident is, just to the west on south lake drive. little bit of a delay main street heading to sunset boulevard. delay on knox abbott road approaching it from the north on 321, and then heading west from i-77 garners ferry to wild cat road. be aware of that and give yourself extra time because the roads are wet. the rain continues and the heaviest concentration of rain now is moving through parts of orangeburg county into calhoun, into parts of north kershaw, lee, and sumter counties. amount of rainfall has been picking up, from 0.25 inches in most of our viewing areas, salud da slowing almost -- saluda showing almost an inch

as we have here in columbia. 71. winds out of the south- southwest at 8 miles per hour. with that stationary front being a component and the cold front, the rain will stall out. rain chances continue. record-breaking high of 79. rain in the morning and midday. overnight slight chance for a shower, better chance early morning. then dealing with possibly fog tomorrow as we start off the day. rain continuing throughout the day with a high of 74. new year's eve during the day a high of 70 degrees. the rain will continue. but should start lightening up towards the evening. cooler temperatures and a lot of sunshine as we get into the weekend. 49 degrees by sunday. >> if we break the record today, that's going to be like three days out of the last five. >> of record-breaking temperatures. one way or another, yep. >> exactly. wow. >> let's get rid of the rain so we can all see sunshine next. >> there you go.

dial that right up in there. >> i'm working on it with mother nature. >> all right. you have a conversation with her. we'll take a break and see you back here in . good morning, it's tuesday, december 29th, 2015. welcome to "cbs this morning." a deadly storm system delivers a winter punch to millions across the country. blizzard conditions strands thousands of holiday travelers. the so-called affluenza teenager is captured in mexico after weeks on the run with his mom. music lovers around the wowod remember mototoead front