break.3 bracing for a storm ... that's the idea for most of the east coast as a strong winter weather system makes it's way to the eastern seaboard.as you head up north people are prepping for extreme condtions. most of the school districts in the charlotte area have canceled classes today. also duke energy brought in extra crews from florida to help with expected power outages.here in the midlands, we aren't expecting anything that bad ... but there could still be some problems throughout the weekend.good morning i'm deon guillory. and i'm savannah levins.3 let's chat with meteorologist

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3 thank you efren.both south and north carolina are expecting a mixed bag of moisture that includes possibly rain, sleet, and snow. according to duke energy, when rain starts to freeze it builds up.once there gets to be about a quarter of an inch -- that's when tree branches fall right onto power lines -- causing power outages. 3 speaking of outages ... here's a look of the current

s-c-e-and-g.that's one of the largest utility providers in the midlands.as you can see everything appears to be good at the moment.we'll continue to monitor this situation throughout the morning and if you do need to report an outage to s-c-e-and-g ... you can call 1-888-333-4465. 3 another probelm with potential threats of icy rain is that the roadways can become very dangerous to drive on.the highway patrol says to be smart and to be prepared. assist that person3 the highway patrol says they have already have troopers in place to patrol

3 because of the cold temperatures....you need to be careful while heating your homes.heating sources that warm us are also a leading cause of home fires and fire deaths. the columbia fire department explains the steps you need to take for you and your family. keep you safe from that 3 he also say to make sure to install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms inside your home to provide early warning of carbon monoxide. 3 news 19 is on your side this morning trying to cover every aspect of this winter weather. according to the forecast models one of the hardest hit areas in the

fairfield county. that's where we find our chuck ringwalt right now to give us an update on what's happening out there. good morning chuck. 3 3

3 news 19 will continue to follow the latest on this storm throughout the day.you can keep up with everything on the forecast by going to our website wltx dot com.also be sure to follow our weather team on twitter. 3 3 the richland county sheriff's department is taking the time to make sure you stay safe in the event of an active shooter. deputies met with parishioners at the progressive church of our lord to discuss techniques that can be used to help save lives.news 19's loren thomas reports.

start thinking about what they would do if this happened." more than 80 people filled the progressive church of our lord in columbia thursday night...hearing om richland deputies on what they can do in the event of an active shooter. "just be prepared. don't think it can't happen. we saw that in charleston and who would've ever thought what happened down there could happen on a wednesday night. so it can happen any place any time. we don't want people to be in denial. it could happen at my church it could happen at my work. so we have to take steps, we have to get educated and we have to get prepared." sheriff leon lott says they have been holding these training sessions for years, but since tragic shooting at mother emanuel in charleston last june, they have ramped up their outreach.deputy chris mastrianni spoke to the congregation...with three main points to take away. "avoid, deny, defend. that's the three main topics we talked about today. avoid it if you can, meaning getting away from the situation, deny it by locking doors, shut lights off and then defend. if you have no other way out defend yourself

you can."deputy mastrianni explained that it takes at least three minutes for law enforcement to arrive to an incident. in that time is when people can use the information they were given tonight to make a life saving decision. "at a public place anyone can come in. it just helped me to know what i need to do to respond quickly and to protect self and others around me." "those precious seconds where you react, instead of having to stop and think, can change your life."in columbia, loren thomas news 19 wltx. 3 sheriff's deputies are looking to reach all of the churches in richland county with this active shooter seminar. 3 the usc law school hosted a lecture about the pros and cons of body cameras. seth stoughton -- a professor who used to be in law enforcement -- led the lecture...he said body cameras are good for keeping officers accountable and for making prosecution easier...but he noted they also have limitations... and it's important that people

3 of body cameras3 stoughton said body cameras are limited because they don't capture every angle....includin g the officer's gestures and actions.... and they can be misleading by making a situation look momo close up and intense than it actually is. 3 3 the richland county voter registration office is opening its doors this morning.a public test of the election database and counting equipment will take place this morning at ten.this is before the democratic preference primary on wednesday.the public test will be at the elections and voter registration office on hampton street. 3 a new partnership between the national park service and the south carolina state park service will be announced this morning.a joint press conference will be held at ten a-m to discuss and to celebrate the national p pk service's one hundredth

include deputy regional director barclay trimble and south carolina state park service director phil gaines. the event will be at the harry hampton visitor center at congaree national park. 3 well you can pull your dancing shoes out of the closet. harbison theatre at midlands technical college will host strings and salsa. the event blends live salsa dancing with orchestral string instruments as well as latino- pop versions of your favorite pharrell williams and stevie wonder hits.the interactive performace cost twenty dollars and will start at seven thirty. 3 the northeast is bracing for a weekend blizzard.we'll take you to the states under a state of emergency and how they are preparing for what's expected to be a monster storm. 3 plus, we are getting rain here and some areas could see more. meteorologist efren afante has your forecast before you head out the door when news 19 this morning returns.

3 3 the eastern third of the nation is bracing for a weekend blizzard. forecasters say at least 77 million people storm that could cripple the east coast. so far five states and the district of columbia are under a state of emergency. craig boswell is in washington in one of the areas expected to be hardest hit after the storm begins midday today. 3 pkgsot: we're talking about a potentially paralyzing storm.from east texas to new york city...the national weather service says the first major winter storm of the season could cause up to a billion dollars in damage.the storm is expected to dump up to two feet of heavy snow in dc, maryland and virginia.natsot: two feet is a scary number! ice, strong winds and coastal flooding are also predicted for the i-95 corridor from delaware to new york.(sot: topper shutt:/ wusa chief meteorologist) if you're trying to get away from this storm, don't go on i-95. don't go south on 95

up: washington is under a blizzard warning. most schools in the region are closed until monday and crews are getting ready to hit the streets with 544 plows and 39 thousand tons of salt. thousands of flights scheduled for friday and saturday are canceled. (gfx)at least 8 major airline carriers have issued travel waivers to allow passengers who have flights at more than 50 airports to rebook for free. (gfx out)nats...people emptied store shelves of milk, bread and water and other essentials as they prepared to hunker down for the weekend.(sot: richard leiby /shopper) it's the same way you prepare for a natural disaster or armageddon. once the storm moves out, forecasters expect a big thaw early next week. craig boswell, cbs news, washington. 3 the national weather service says el nino is partially responsible for helping to

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3 3 he's one of the world's

business is looking to make a sweet profit off el chapo. 3 plus, he's called can head man. the tricks he does that give

next in what's brewing. 3 for everyone who thought we already *have a 9th planet, scientists say: it's not pluto - it's one that no one has ever seen - yet.researchers at cal tech say they've observed the gravitational pull - of a very large object - that they believe exists on the edge of our solar system.they say

larger than earth and at 3 least 20 billion 3 miles away. 3 a bakery in northern mexico is taking advantage of the extensive media coverage of drug lord "el chapo by making cupcakes with his face on them. the cupcakes show him

just like the one he was wearing when he was recaptured. the chef said the reaction to his initiative on the social networks has been "shocking."3 3 he's famous for cans and bottles-- check out how he slides them across his bald head.he says it's not just his head, though... and it's not just drink containers.he

face!doctors don't know exactly what this ability is related to... and it was a fluke that he even discovered he can do it! 3 "twenty three years ago, i shaved my head for the first time. and i was at a ball game. i was trying to cool my head down because it was a hot day. and all of a sudden they hit a home run," keeton said. "i went up to grab it... i missed it, and then said, 'where's my drink?' everybody was laughing."3 3 he actually makes a living this way-- he wears company

as he goes 3 places to demonstrate his skills.3 3 we continue to keep an eye on the winter weather.we are live this morning with a preview of what's being done ahead of the storm. 3 plus, the state department of revenue trying to stop crooks from cashing in on tax fraud. how a former con artist is helping and what he says that money is used for when news 19 this morning contiunues at

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3 prepare to layer up cause the cold weather is here.good morning i'm savannah levins. and i'm deon guillory. the east coast is prepping for a winter storm.and although we won't be hit as hard as some places, there's still reason for concern.meteorologist efren afante is tracking this 3 system and joins us now with what we can expect.

3 3 whenever you're dealing with severe weather power outages can always be a concern ... and it looks traveling up north along eye 77 that concern is growing. david whisenant from w-b-t-v has a look at how folks in north carolina are getting ready.

3 3 speaking of outages ... here's a look of the current reported outages according to s- c-e-and-g.that's one of the largest utility providers in the midlands.as you can see

at the moment.we'll continue to monitor this situation throughout the morning and if you do need to report an outage to s-c-e-and-g ... you can call 1-888-333-4465. 3 our team coverage continues as we take a closer look back here in the midlands. according to the forecast models one of the hardest hit areas in the midlands is expected to be fairfield county. that's where we find our chuck ringwalt right now to give us an update on what's happening out there.good morning chuck.

3 3 during this winter weather officials are advising people to stay off the roads... but if you must travel here are some things to consier.first .. check your battery.you don't want it to die, leaving you stranded in wintry conditions.second .. check your tires -- they should have a good tread -- which could make a difference when you encounter slick conditions.and .. take a look at your fluid levels -- especially your windshield wiper fluid. 3 news 19 will continue to follow the latest on this storm throughout the day.you can keep up with everything on the forecast by going to our website wltx dot com.also be

team on twitter. 3 3 at the state house.....lawmak ers continued the investigation of three south carolina abortion clinics.one of the most controversial issues under investigation is fetal tissue donations and whether to make it legal to use them for medical research or not.representative raye felder amended dhec recommendation saying fetal tissue donations can be u ud for medical l research as long as they aren being paid for. she said mothers who consent to donate the tissue after deciding to have an abortion allows medical research to move forward.she compared the issue to cancer research and finding the cure for diseases like alzheimer . 3 if we can do research and we can save lives, and we can make that quality of life better, as a cancer survivor, i think that most important. and that part of our responsibility to the citizens

country. not all committee members agreed with felder amendment but it was approved to go to legislation.the ad hoc committee will continue reviewing recommendations by state agencies next week. 3 a former con artist is helping the state department of revenue keep money out of the hands of criminals. frank abagnaleab-an-nail is with the fbi and volunteered to work with the revenue department to protect all of us from tax fraud especially before the 20-16 tax filing season.his name may sound familiar because he was played by leonardo dicaprio in the move "catch me if you can."he says billions of dollars are paid in fraudulent claims every year but people stealing that money aren from the united states. he says the money eventually comes back into our country in the form of drug trafficking human trafficking and child pornography. 3 o it is ironic that we as american allow people to steal who are not even in this country, billions of dollars of hard earned money of the taxpayers of this country, take that money and then bring it back in to commit worse and more hideous crimes against

the revenue department says your state refund checks may be delayed this year as they try to crack down of fraud. 3 3 the big story across the nation this morning is the impending winter weather. millions of people along the east coast are in the path of a potentially historic snowstorm -- expected to bring more than a foot of snow, ice, and coastal flooding to many areas.in washington d.c., where a blizzard is expected, officials have declared a state of emergency and suspended subway service...beginning this afternoon.several airlines have announced major cancellations through the 3 weekend. 3 president obama is sending 80-million dollars in federal aid to flint, michigan to help

the announcement yesterday came on the same day regional e-p-a chief susan hedman resigned.officials in flint have begun a chemical process to stop lead from contaminating the water --but many residents are calling for their pipes to be replaced altogether. 3 two americans freed from iran are waking up w wh their loved onon this morning.christian pastor saeed abedini returned home to north carolina thursday...while former marine amir hekmati arrived back home to michigan.both men spent the last few days receiving medical treatment at a german military hospital...following several years in captivity. 3 still much more ahead on news 19 this morning... including your chance to snag a golden football and win some cash. but first... saint pat's in five points. find out who's performing this year. 3 from the midlands to the queen city everyone is keeping an eye on the threat of ice and snow. next, what officials say they are keeping a close watch for.

3 3 3 the city of charlotte is keeping a close eye on the impending winter weather. with the threat of ice and snow for that area ...charlotte mayor jennifer roberts is urging everyone in charlotte to stay safe. she says that's the city's top priority but it's important to stay home and off the roads if you can. 3 we know that icy roads...and

same 3 officials up there say they're also watching for downed power lines. 3 3

a defamation lawsuit against comedian bill cosby.a pittsburgh-area woman claimed she was branded a liar and extortionist when cobsy and his reps responded to allegations he drugged and sexuxuly assaulted her and other women.the judge ruled those statements are protected under the first amendment. 3 the hollywood chamber of commerce honored ll cool j with his own star on the hollywood walk of fame.the multi-platinum selling hip hop artist, actor, producer and host was honored in the recording category.its a busy time for ll cool j.he's gearing up to host his fifth consecutive grammy awards show next month right here on c-b-s. 3 get ready for more memories. a revival of cats is coming to broadway this summer. the andrew lloyd webber musical is one of the longest running shows in broadway history running for nearly 18 years before closing in 2000.also returning to broadway is a revival of the musical comedy she loves me. its about two bickering co- workers who are unaware that

pen pal.previews start next month. 3 coming up on news 19 this morning... the wintery weather is the top story and we have team coverage.efren is tracking the weather plus, a live report from fairfield