get the news.3 good morning and thanks for waking up with us here on news19 this morning. i'm savannah levins. and i'm deon guillory. the winter weather continues in the midlands ... for the second consecutive night temps went below freezing dipping into the 20's.too find out how much longer these temps are staying in the midlands let's talk to meteorologist 3 efren afante. 3 3

3 3 today governor haley will give her state of the state address. it is taking place at 7pm at the state house.she is expected to talk about her budget plan.... as well as flood recovery efforts.mandy norrell of lancaster will give the democratic response.you

wltx and wltx dot com. 3 state lawmakers will get details today on a multi-million dollar proposal to display the confederate flag.a group with the confederate relic room and military museum will appear today before a house budget-writing committee.last month, the museum's governing ard approved a three-point-six million dollar plan to display the flag and renovate the space.that's down from an initial five-point- three million.governor nikki haley said last week the price tag should come down more. 3 today is the deadline to register to vote in the first in the south republican presidential primary. the primary is set for february 20th.meanwhile... the deadline to register to vote in the democratic primary is a week from tomorrow... on january 27. the democratic primary is february 27. so if you have moved....make sure you are

or if you have moved from one county to another, you must register in your new county by the deadline to be eligible to vote. 3 job seekers in lexington might want to listen up. today lexington county dss is sponsering a job fair from 9am until 2pm. 4 local businesses will be looking to hire new employees. the job fair will be held in the community room in the lexington county dss office. that's located on south lake drive in lexington. 3 listen up drivers.the department of transportation is closing a aexit on interstate 26.this is for the eastbound off ramp at exit 115. it's closed tonight and tomorrow night to replace an overhead sign. it will be closed both nights from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.two right lanes will be closed. detour signs will be in place for drivers needing the exit 115 eastbound off-ramp. 3 outwit ... outplay ... outlast ... later today the

of survivor will be announced. the 32nd season is another brains vs. brawn vs. beauty. the 18 new castaways will be competing to become the sole survivor and win the 1 million dollar prize.survivor premieres with a special 90- minute episode on wednesday, february 17 right here on wltx at 8. 3 3 as lawmakers in the senate talk about their roads plan, one group is lobbying against passing a gas tax. senators from both parties say they are trying to reach a roads plan compromise with three prongs: gas tax for roads revenue, dot reform, and an income tax cut. but the group "americans for prosperity" is against the gas tax, saying they want to focus on reforming the transportation system in the state. they're calling on lawmakers to move transportation under the

3 they support a plan that includes more gas tax hikes, sending more money to the same dysfunctional, corrupt transportation system that has let our roads crumble to the position were in nwo. ///this is been going on for so long. its not becasue legislators dont care, or because theyre ignoring the problem its because its hard. becasue there are real philosophical divides on this. and wevbe got to try and bridge those gaps. 3 this morning at 7:00 ... americans for prosperity will be at the exxon off west main street in lexington offering to pay for 45 cents of every gallon ... as they talk to drivers about their opinions on improving roads. 3 car dealer representatives from across the state attended a senate judiciary committee meeting. they debated a bill that centers around the legality of car dealers charging a closing fee.there are more than 200 lawsuits pending against car dealers from customers who say the the closing fees are illegal.if

prevent them from receiving refunds.part of the measure discussed would require car dealers, who charge closing fees, to pay a one-time registration fee of ten dollars each fiscal year to the department of consumer affairs.the bill was passed out of committee...and is headed to the full senate. 3 in a general subcommittee meeting, senators listened to testimony from the department of social services on the syrian refugees in south carolina.currently there are two bills on the tablbl that look limit the number of refugees in our state...and the state resources used to help families.news 19's loren thomas reports. 3 "the purpose of the refugee resettlement program is to help refugees admitted to this country gain economic self sufficiency."karen wingo with the department of social services, along with representatives from the theran services of the carolinas, spoke out about their roles in the refugee resettlement program. "to see what they go through and the

and then to have them come here and have a lot of negative backlash it is very discouraging."current senate bills 928 and 997 look to prohibit state agencies from accepting any new refugees, as well as limit 3 any state resources to refugees until they register with dss...requiring information like their new address and job status.these bills stem from governor haley's request to the federal government to not place syrian refugees in south carolina following recent terrorist attacks in france and germany. senator lee bright says there's a security concern. "both the bills are needed and i would like to see a halt to the program. we're basically trusting the federal government with this program and i don't have a lot of faith in the federal government at this time. i really don't want to have a situation to where people are harmed in south carolina and we didn't do something to keep it from happening."senator kevin johnson doesn't agree with the bills. "we have about 1,500 refugees who are hard working citizens, or hard working people out there who are trying to raise their family and earn an honest living them have cauaud any criminal problems. i think there are some misconceptions out there and i think that once we clear this up then a lot of people will feel as i

necessary."so far two syrian refugee families have been placed in south carolina by the federal government since december of last year. 3 in columbia, loren thomas new 19 wltx. 3 the subcommittee is expected to report back to the full senate today for further discussion on the bills. 3 a republican lawmaker wants south carolina to decide who can be a journalist representative michael pitts has introduced a journalist registy bill.the measure would establish state approveded requirments before someone could work as a journalist in south carolina.pitts says he filed the bill to bring light to how he sees second amendment rights being reported by the news media...which he says isn't good.no matter why he filed the bill....attorney jay bender says there's no way it will pass.

dignified response 3 michael pitts is the same lawmaker who put up more than 60 amendments on the bill to take down the confederate flag. 3 3 on the 19th of every montn we remind you of the importance of performing your monthly self breast exam this morning we want to show the story that ran yesterday because the story is so important. darci strickland introduces us to a breast cancer survivor who is fighting for more than just her life

3 3 early detection is the key to saving your life and signing up for buddy call19 is easy - just go to our website at

3 backlash against hollywood's biggest prize.why some big names are saying no to the oscars this year. 3 but first, bundle up before you ad out the door. meteorologist efren afante has a look at the freezing temperatures and when we can

3

3 academy awards controversy.the stars who say they are skipping next month's ceremony and why they are asking others to boycott hollywood's biggest night. 3 plus, why hundreds of dogs came together to find their

coming up in what's brewing. 3 here's a topic that people are just not letting go of-- the controversy over the upcoming academy awards.director spike lee and actress jada pinkett smith announced today they will *not* be attending the ceremony next month -- due to the lack of diversity in this year's acting and top film

others 3 to join them in their "oscar boycott." 3 uber may soon be offering more than car rides-- the company is now working on an on-demand helicopter service. uber is partnering with airbus to test the idea. an uber spokesperson told

run will take place at the sundance film festival later this month. prices and rollout plans have not yet been revealed. 3 3 a world reocrd 270 dogs and their owners took part in the

in hong kong over the weekend. led by their "doga" instructor, the participants massaged, twisted and stretched their furry friends in a series of poses.the previous record for largest doga" class was set in san diego in 2015.the attempt at record breaking has yet to be confirmed by the guinness world records people, but 3 organizers were confident they

3 tax season is here and scammers are trying to take advantage of you.we're on your side this morning with a look at what's being called the biggest phone fraud in irs history and what you should do if you get a call 3 plus, dr. ben carson suspending his campaign. why the republican presidential

today.3 good morning and thanks for waking up with us here on news19 this morning. i'm savannah levins. and i'm

bundled up overnight because it was freezing once again.for a better look meteorologist efren afante has more. 3 3

3 a number of homes in the pine glenn neighborhood in irmo were demolished yesterday. the homes were heavily damaged by the october flood.we spoke with a woman named janet dubeau whose home was torn down.janet had 61 inches of water inside her home after the flood and had to be rescued by her neighbors.she

3 cause it reflooded on december 31 3 here in richland county public hearings are being held to gather feedback from residents who were affected by the flood.it's called the community input and recovery project. the first meeting was held last night at st. andrews park.new 19's chuck ringwalt has the story. 3 "i want to know about stoops creek cause that's what's right in my backyard."marie byrnes was one of many residents who came to meeting. her home was damaged during the tober flood and since

creek inches close to her door. "it's turned from something that i used to love sit out on my back deck and drink a cup of coffee on a sunday morning to something that gives me anxiety, something that worries me every single moment of every single day." councilwoman joyce dickerson says it's a big problem for these residents. "this is a creek that we maintain. the public works has been out there several times and we're trying to make sure that we address that as much as possible." to do so the the county hired tetra-ch, a company was here to listen to residents and gather information about their specific situations. "we use that information to try and develop project ideas that we will conceptualize and then come up with cost opinions for and then rate the projects and hopefully be able to secure funding to implement them." "we can't be everywhere, but they can assist us, identify, and follow up with those requests and making sure those requests are being addressed and "byrne says they hope to present those plans to council within the next two months. "just knowing that there are there that are thinking about want to help and want to do are going to gigure this out.

of ease."3 in richland county chuck ringwalt news19 wltx 3 the county council will hold another community input meeting today ... it's from noon to 2 p-m at gadsen park. 3 the united way association of south carolina and their partners held an event at the statehouse highlightiti the wages needed for basic essentials...the group presented a self- sufficiency standard for our state... it shows a single working parent with 2 children in richland county would need to make at least $41,000 a year to support their family without any govenrment assistance.organizers say this amount is often not made by working adults and that many people are struggling to get what they need...they say although there has been an abundance of job creation since the recession... many of

3 which tend to pay signicicantly less than other jobs3 today the study will be given to members of the general assembly.. members of united way association of south carolina and their partners hope that lawmakers will use this information to make better decisions on matters that affect people in poverty. 3 3 the coast guard says it is suspending a massive search for 12 marines including 22 year-old sergeant jeffrey sempler of woodruff ... who have been missing since two helicopters crashed off hawaii. allyson blair has more. 3 this item contains handout material from kerilyn pollock cleared for use on all cbs platforms domestic, foreign and online, no syndication, no entertainment, nns-n"the metal was found right kerilyn been coming to more than 15 11:36:49 we don't see a lot of things wash up on here.almost

could tell something was up. 11:35:35 kerilyn pollococ "there was a police helicopter that kept like going in circles around the ocean out here and getting really low." 11:35:45 kerilyn pollock "we saw jet skis out there and then lots of life guards came." turns out someone had called 9-1-1 to report a piece of metal they had found on the beach. not long after a swimmer handed a lifeguard this blanket -- found floating in the water.11:36:40 kerilyn pollock "it was really more of a thicker looking thing, maybe some sort of a felt."her friends son also came across something odd.11:36:59 kerilyn pollock "a piece of wood that kerilyn pollock "it looked something . it was pretty fresh."all three items were collected by lifeguards and handed over to the marines. shayne enright/ honolulu ems spokesperson "it's been a very challenging 5 days." lifeguards on jet skis have played a major role in helping to recover possible evidence. here is a map of the coastline they've covered -- equaling a total of 250 miles. 13:39:58 they've been told

there and whatever they can recover they bring it back to shore.just before noon tuesday -- our cameras captured a coast guard helicopter just off croziers -- possibly snapping multiple pictures. we asked officials what they were doing -- i was told crews take photos of anything that looks like debris.3 allyson blair, hawaii news now. 3 the search was called off after nearly round the clock searching for five days.the coast guard initially reported the chopped collided but the marines said later it's not yet known if there was was a collision. 3 former vice presidential nominee sarah palin campaigns with donana trump in iowa and oklahoma today -- a day after officially endorsing his bid for the white house.pundits say the move presents a setback for texas senator ted cruz, who is in a close race with trump in iowa.on the democratic side -- a recent poll shows vermont senator bernie sanders beating frontrunner, hillary clinton,

3 republican presidential candidate ben carson suspends campaign events for today -- following a tragedy involving one of his volunteers.25-year-old braden joplin died tuesday after being injured in a car accident in iowa.the former neurosurgeon posted a picture of himself and joplin on twitter - to express his condolences. 3 and, michigan governor rick snyder is vowing to fix the water crisis in flint -- amid ongoing calls for his arrest and resignation. in his state of the state address yesterday - the republican governor said he's asked lawmakers for nearly 30 million dollars to replace plumbing in schools and pay for psychologists to monitor affected children.governor flint says he'll also release all of his emails to the public today. 3 3 the tax filing season is officially underway and scammers are trying to take

officials say the biggest phone fraud in irs history is growing and now the government is launching a public service announcement warning taxpayers about the phone scammers who claim to be irs agents. 3 :inspector general of investigations hey're just ruthless criminals, and they really don't care about people, they don't care about anything other than trying to intimidate you into paying them money.//the tipoff is, if you don't pay immediately, you're going to go to jail, that is the tip off. the irs would never make a telephone call like that. if you do get a call like that, the i-r-s says you should just hang up. 3 richland county council took up the penny tax issue again... this time it considered a couple motions aimed to restore trust that the money is properly being spent. news19's sonia gutierrez was there during a sometimes heated exchange.

get on track and for there to be meaningful anges to restore public trust"richland councilman seth rose is the newest addition to the transportation committee that oversees projects to the penny tax. there was changing of council members we had a 5 member committee there were two that were taken out one replaced swe e got 4 members3 norman jackson is no longer on the committee and kelvin washington- who was investigated on charges he did not pay his personal taxes- is also out ***nats of meeting*** but a lot of rose's motions were met with tough questions from councilman bill malinnowski "mr rose just needs to get a copy of that if he hasn seen it because this is already a point that is being handled like you e asking for right here" "this motion is going through the proper channels, it sounds like you agree you just don want to take it up or vote on it and i don think that right" "it not that i don want to take it up i just don wish to reinvent the wheel,rose presented four motionsthe motion i submitted has to do with making the chairperson of the citizens watchdog committee an ex officio member of the committee you just watched, that has never been proposed getting from them quarterly reports and a yearly audit. that was referred back to committee....so that will be discussed at a later meeting.. another motion deals with the public relations firms that the department of are getting paid 600,000 dollars i made

relations completely cut penny tax program, in some way have concerns sonia gutierrez news19 wltx3 3 he also proposed for the staff to be eliminated as the middle man when selecting a top scorer- which is enacted now through the significant purchase ordinance. but that was denied. and to have the small local business enterprises funded from the general fund and not the penny tax- which was sent to bubuet. 3 3 the oliver gospel mission received a big donation.laz-y-boy of lexington dropped off a truckload of gently used furniture.the donations were collected during a bi annual trade-in event held at the

used furniture can then be thrift store on two notch road. the money raised then funds the mission's efforts to help the homeless. 3 being part of that3 we're told that each donation generates about 5- thousand dollars in revenue for the charity, 3 super bowl 50 will air right here in a few weeks and we're giving you a chance to score some points of your own ... in the form of cash.our golden football contest is going on rigig now.we placed 19 golden wltx signed footballs at several different public landmarks across 11 counties. the clues leading to their locations have been posted on wltx's instagram, twitter and facebook accounts. you 're looking at pictures of

found winning balls...but there are still some out there..if you find a golden football bring it to the wltx studios to win $50... and then register for our grand price of $519. the grand prize will be announced on january 26 on friends at 5. 3 actor jamie foxx is taking on a new role.why the oscar winner is being called a real life hero. 3 plus, you'll be a hero if you have the car nice and warm for your family as you head out this morning.meteorologist efren afafte tells us how long

(donkey sound) (elephant sound) there's a big difference between making noise, (tapping sound) and making sense. (elephant sound) (donkey sound) when it comes to social security, we need more than lip service. our next president needs a real plan to keep social security strong. (elephant noise) hey candidates. enough talk.

actor jamie foxx sprang into action monday evening freeing a trapped man from a burning car.foxx said he heard the crash outside his southern california home. he unbuckled the driver and dragged him from his overturned vehicle. 3 two british rock legends are hitting the road together this year for a month-long north american tour.sting and peter gabriel say they'll play their own hits - and swap out playing each other's - on their "rock, paper, scissors" tour.any disagreements between the artists will be worked out

combat. 3 governor haley preparing to give her state of the state address tonight.a preview of what she will talk about and