>> have a great weekend. good morning columbia. thanks for joining us. i'm crysty vaughan. and i'm rochelle dean. we're live from main and gervais. the time's now 5:00. it's a cold start to your friday... but it looks like we may be in for a nice and sunny weekend ahead of us. yeah... you'll need to grab a coat this morning... but that sunshine should be out soon

we can expect for the remainder of the day... lets turn things over to

33 we want to give you a quick traffic update as you head out and about this morning. here are some trouble spots that you might encounter. south carolina highway patrol is reporting a collision with no injury. this is going to be at the intersection of 1051 southern drive and bluff road. and as always... we are continuing to keep our eyes on the road and will update you if anything else pops up for your morning commute. a-b-c columbia

your day. we have a quick rundown of your top morning headlines. so, let's get started. the republican presidential hopefuls are coming off their final debate before super tuesday. g-o-p front-runner donald trump was the target of his competition. marco rubio and ted cruz targeted trump's business record, personal wealth and commitment to conservative social issues. it's a final push to stop trump's momentum going into the e march first vote.... but the billionaire businessman isn't taking the shots lightly. 33 voters in twelve state and one u-s territory will head to the polls super tuesday... march first. before super tuesday... the democratic presidential hopefuls must first focus on voters here in

tomorrow's primary. hillary clinton will continue her campaign efforts here in the midlands today. clinton will be attending a "get out the vote h-b-c-u rally" today at south carolina state university. that's going to take place at the dukes gymnasium at 4:45. then later tonight, hillary clinton will be joined by her husband... and former president... bill clinton for another rally... in boyd plaza. that's at the corner of hampton and main street. the rally starts at eight. bill clinton also has stops planned in aiken and bluffton today. the former president has been busy shoring up support for his wife. clinton rallied a packed gymnasium in winnsboro yesterday.... telling the crowd hillary is

this country forward. 33 and the clinton's daughter... chelsea will also be campaigning for her mom today. she'll be in charleston and right here in the capital city. for a complete list of her campaign stops, be sure to check out our website... a-b-c columbia- dot-com. bernie sanders is back in the midlands today. sanders will be attending a "h-b-c-u tour and rally" today at claflin university. that's today at 5:30. he'll also be holding a rally at the township auditorium... right here in columbia... tonight at seven. and a reminder this morning... tomorrow is the democratic primary. polls open at seven in the morning and close at seven in the evening. remember... if you voted in the republican primary you cannot vote for a democrat this weekend. we'll have complete primary coverage online and on air here tomorrow on abc columbia. the highway patrol has released video from the night lexington solicitor donnie

this is myers' third run in with the law... and this time... calls to step down... are getting louder. leading the charge... are community members who have lost loved ones to drivers under the influence. dozens rallied outside the solicitor's office, all calling for the same thing.... for myers to resign. while they say they don't discount myers' four decades of service, they say these alcohol related incidents are unacceptable, dangerous and devastating to the community he serves. 33 myers' critics say they'll search for someone to run against him in this year's solicitor's race. governor nikki haley is looking to make more progress in the fight against domestic violence. the victim and offender services division of the governor's domestic task force is set to meet today. the task force will be reviewing its progress on action items.

forty-two percent of violent crimes in the state involve domestic violence.33 still to come... our coverage of vote 20-16 continues. we've got all the highlights from last night's g-o-p debate.a clear and cold start to your friday forecast.expect lots of sunshine but a somewhat chilly

from main and gervais. 33 here's a quick look at stories that are making headlines across the country. we're less than a week away from super tuesday. and none of the republican presidential hopefuls were holding back at

the latest. 33 the regular season of gamecock basketball is wrapping up. crysty, what can you tell us about weekend's games? carolina baseball gets back in action today at 4 o'clock against penn state. tomorrow the gamecock men's basketball travels to mississippi state. and sunday the usc women will try to close out the regular season in style at the colonial life arena. tim hill explains in this

it. still to 33 come... from the court to the baseball diamond. how you

on the columbia fireflies opening day.a clear and cold start to your friday forecast. expect lots of sunshine but a

details nethe arts" tonight at seven-thirty. tickets are on sale now on the website... columbia classical ballet dot com. and speaking of the classical tale of cinderella... you can also play dress up like the princess at brookland baptist church tomorrow. with prom right around the corner... they're planning a busy day with lots of free prom dresses. this is for the annual "cinderella project boutique"... sponsored by "s-c bar young lawyers" all dresses are gently worn... formal...bridesmaid and prom dresses for young women who lack the financial resources to buy a gown.

tomorrow morning. 33 33 we're checking out what will be making headlines later today. here's eric with your "look ahead." it's friday... which means you can take the family for a free adventure at the riverbanks zoo. this is your last chance to take advantage of the zoo's "free friday" deal. for admission... guests will be asketo provide a valid driver's licence... property tax statement or vehicle registration as proof of residency. and for you columbia fireflies fans... tickets start going on sale today for their opening day and the 20-16 inaugural season at spirit communications park. tickets are available at the website...

the fireflies are kicking off their season on april 14th against the greenville drive. and for an added bonus... there will be a fireworks show for opening night. still to 33 come... we're getting red carpet ready... and taking a look at a best picture nominee before this weekends oscars...

from main and gervais. this morning... but that sunshine should be out soon enough. for more on what we can expect 33 for the remainder of the day... lets turn things over

kennedy. 33 we want to 33 give you a quick traffic update as you head out and about this morning. and good news... there are no trouble spots to report in or around the capital city. but as always... we arereeep our eyes on the road and will update you if anything pops up for your morning commute. a-b-c columbia wants to help you jump start your day. we have a quick rundown of your top morning headlines. so, let's get started. out of the low country this morning... officials say a berkely county sheriff's deputy is in the hospital this morning... after being shot while attempting to make an early morning arrest. chief deputy mike cochran with the berkley sheriff's office says it is a female deputy... her name has not yet been released. the deputy is c crently undergoing surgery... and is listed in

suspect has been arrested yet in this case and the sheriff's office has not identified the suspect. count on a-b-c columbia to continue to follow this story and bring you more updates... as they become available. the republican presidential hopefuls are coming off their final debate before super tuesday. g-o-p front- runner donald trump was the target of his competition. marco rubio and ted cruz targeted trump's business record, personal wealth and commitment to conservative social issues. but trump wasn't taking the shots lightly... calling rubio a "chock artist" and cruz a "basket case" over their failing campaigns. before super tuesday... the democratic presidential hopefuls must first focus on voters here in south carolina... before tomorrow's primary. hillary clinton will continue her campaign efforts here in the midlands today. clinton will be

h-b-c-u rally" today at south carolina state university. that's going to take place at the dukes gymnasium at 4:45. then later tonight, hillary clinton will be joined by her husband... and former president... bill clinton for another rally... in bobo plaza. that's at the corner of hampton and main street. the rally starts at eight. bill clinton has been busy shoring up support for his wife. the former president has stops planned in aiken and bluffton today. and the clinton's daughter... chelsea will also be campaigning for her mom today. she'll be in charleston and right here in the capital city. for a complete list of her campaign stops, be sure to check out our website... a-b-c columbia- dot-com. bernie sanders is back in the midlands today. sanders will be attending a "h- b-c-u tour and rally" today at claflin university. that's today at 5:30. he'll also be holding a rally at the township auditorium... right here in columbia... tonight at seven. and a reminder this

the democratic primary. polls open at seven in the morning and close at seven in the evening. remember... if you voted in the republican primary you cannot vote for a democrat this weekend. we'll have complete primary coverage online and on air here tomorrow on abc columbia. out of the state house... a bill to fund fixing south carolina roadways is still hitting a roadblock in the senate. spartanburg senator lee bright continued a filibuster that started last week.... to stop the senate's roads bill from reaching a vote... citing the 12 cents a gallon gas tax as the hold up. other 33 senators say they are eager to get a roads bill passed after days of stalled debate. but instead of including a tax increase in the bililenator

new money to fund fixing roads and bridges across the state. and suggests an amended restructuring bill without a gas tax.33 still to come... after days of high winds... we're hoping things will quiet down here in the midlands. it's wish for calmer weather... being felt across the nation. a clear and 33 cold start to your friday forecast.expect lots of sunshine but a somewhat chilly

from main and gervais. good morning. topping "america's money" -- more trouble for a major retailer. >> kohl's is the latest to announce closures. 18 stores now that sales are down 20%. >> the list of stores to be closed will be revealed next month. employees will be offered work in other kohl's stores. volkswagen is now facing a march 4th dead layne to say whether or not it's found an emissions fix that is acceptable to u.s. regulators. >> a federal judge saying yesterday that time was running out. the scandal affects about 600,000 diesel vehicles. and this one's for reena. >> oh.

leap day, next mond. >> the chain will offer its first ever vegetarian menu. no-meat alternatives to all of its meaty sandwiches. >> the regular version will be available as well. rest assured. hungry? >> i'm lining up. that's "america's money." >> have a good day. i built my business with passion. but i keep it growing by making every dollar count. that's why i have the spark cash card from capital one. i earn unlimited 2% cash back on everything i buy for my studio. and that unlimited 2% cash back from spark means thousands of dollars each year going back into my business... that's huge for my bottom line.

33 winds for us here in the midlands... but for residents 33 across maine, they got an early morning wake up call from a different force of nature yesterday. yeah... this is the scene in portland due to powerful thunder and lightning. they also experienced strong winds that knocked down

one point, more than 11- thousand households were without power statewide.... and the storms even boosted temperatures in portland to a record daily high. 33 we're now going to turn our attention to your health. rochelle dean has a ok at what is making headlines in the medical community. flu season is in full force... and it may have you wondering just how effective the flu vaccine really is. according to the centers for disease control and prevention... it's working "pretty well" so far. the c-d-c says this season's vaccine cuts the chance of gettininthe flu by nearly 60-percent. that makes it one of the most effective flu vaccines in

comparison... last season's flu shot only reduced flu risk by just 20-percent. and people are providing more help for flint michigan's water crisis this time it's coming from a group of celebrities who are skipping out on sundays big oscar night... to take the time to give back. "creed's" director ryan coogler... among other hollywood celebrities are heading to flint to participate in a benefit for residents affected by the town's lead-contaminated water crisis. the event is being called "hash tag... justice for flint". still to come... this city is no poor mans land... we're taking a look at where you can find the world's most billionaires stay with us. we're live

u-s the national highway traffic safety administration says the

explode sending metal fragments flying....which can cause serious injury or death. beijing is replacing new york as the city with the world's most billionaires. according to "hurun report's" latest global rich list... the chinese capital city gained 32 billionaires last year... for a total of 100. new york has topped the list for years... but is now in second place with 95 billionaires. moscow is third... with 66... followed by hong kong... which has 64. the glitz and glam of this weekends oscars are upon us... crysty what can you tell us? the red carpet will mostly be full of movie stars on sunday... but the big event is also getting a special visitor from the white house. vice president joe biden is attending sunday's awards ceremony to send a powerful message for the audience. biden is making a call for sexual assault awareness.

singer lady gaga... who is performing "til it happens to you". the song was featured in "the hunting ground" documentery which explores incidents of sexual assaults on college campuses. and for this years highest-paid oscar nominee... hunger games star jennifer lawrece. according to forbes... lawrence... who received a best actress nomination for "joy," earned 52 million dollars between june 2014 and june 2015 lawreree gets paid almost twice as much as the second highest-paid oscar nominee, leonardo dicaprio, who made 29-million. this is lawrence's fourth oscar nomination. she's the youngest person ever with four nominations. and remember... the oscars air sunday night... february 28th at seven p-m. you can catch all the glitz and glamor right here...

come... we're remembering a past oscar winner... before this weekends big awards show... next in your day in

gervais. 33 let's check out the day in history. -president wilson learns of zimmermann telegram in 1917-world trade center is bombed in 1993-oscar winner

catwoman in 2005 33 today is... tell a fairy tale day... stand up to 33 bullying day... and national pistachio day.33 that's all the time that we have for the first hour of good morning columbia. but we're coming right back.

good morning, columbia. today is friday, february 26. there's no holding back in houston. we're taking a look at how the gop presidential hopefuls fared in the final debate before super tuesday. plus we're just one day away from the democratic presidential primary here in south carolina. where the candidates will be making a final push for votes in the palmetto state. and we all dream in gold. we're rolling out the red carpet and taking a look at what we can expect at this weekend's oscars. "good morning, columbia" starts right now.

www.captionassociates.com. crysty: good morning, columbia. thank you so much for waking up with us on this friday morning. i'm crysty vaughan. >> rochelle: and i'm rochelle dean. we're live from main and gervais. the time's now 6:00. >> crysty: and if you are getting out the door, maybe getting the kids out the door we want to give you a little heads up, it is really cold this morning. >> rochelle: that's right, it will smack you in the face as soon as you come out side but we're getting used to it. >> crysty: we've had milder temperatures this week in the morning and this is a turn. >> rochelle: it was really windy, but maybe that is dying down. let's turn things over to meteorologist jonathan kennedy as you get ready to head outside. how are things looking? >> jonathan: it has been an eventful week for us, now we are seeing sunshine but it will be colder.

36 this morning, clear skies, winds out of the west and southwest at 6 miles a hour. that's not particularly breezy but compared to where we were but will bring a little wind chill factor this morning, 36 is what the temperature will be reading on the thermometer but it will feel colder than that. clear skies allowing us to cool down. we do have a few clouds near the upstate but i'm not sure that makes its way all the way here especially with the winds slacking a little bit, it won't be pooling as much as it was. temperatures ranging from freezing for camden and wagner. orangeburg 38 to our south. wind chill temperatures, again, will be feeling colder than what the thermometer is reading, feels like 31 downtown. xington and orangeburg feels closer to freezing even though

a couple spots fall down to 20s in wind chill. compared to the 35 and 40 mile per hour winds we saw yesterday, it will be essentially nonexistents wind for us as you move throughout your day. satellite and radar quiet, on the other side of the mountain we are seeing snow squalls as you go up through the west virginia into pittsburgh area, but we will look at a nice dry set up, look at the temperatures through texas, besides the snow squalls, there is no moisture. i expect us to stay n ne and try not only for friday forecast and friday night but saturday and into sunday. but we will round out the work week with a cool down, temperatures in the upper 50s,

cool air and by the end of the weekend we will see a much warmer set up but it will be cooler for us today and likely tomorrow. >> crysty: all right. >> rochelle: we will look forward to monday and tuesday. >> jonhan: said no one ever. >> crysty: ever, ever. >> rochelle: thanks, jonathan. crysty: we want to give you a quick traffic update as you head out and about this morning. >> rochelle: there is good news, no trouble spots to report in and around the capital city but as always we are keeping our eye on the road and if anything changes we will pass it along. as always abc columbia wants to help you jump start your day. >> crysty: we are starting with news out of the low country, a berkeley sheriff is in the hospital after being shot after making an early morning arrest. >> they say it is a female deputy, her name has not been

the deputy is undergoing surgery and listed in stable condition. no suspect information is listed either. abc columbia will continue to bring you updates as soon as they become available. >> crysty: to our other top story, vote 2016. gop front-runner donald trump was the target of his competition. marco rubio and ted cruz targeted trump's business record, personal wealth and commitment to conservative social issues. it's a final push to stop trump's momentum going into the march 1st vote but the billionaire businessman isn't taking the shots lightly. >> if you're talking about the polls, i'm beating him awfully badly in the polls. >> but you're not beating hillary. >> hey, if i can't beat her, you're really going to get killed. >> crysty: voters in 12 state and one u.s. territory will head to the polls super tuesday on

before super tuesday the democratic presidential hopefuls must first focus on voters here in south carolina ahead of tomorrow's primary. >> rochelle: hillary clinton will continue her campaign efforts here in the midlands today. clinton will be attending a "get out the vote hbcu rally" today at south carolina state university. that's going to take place at the dukes gymnasium at 4:45. then later tonight, hillary clinton will be joined by her husband and former president bill clinton for another rally in boyd plaza. that's at t e corner of hamptonn and main street. the rally starts at 8:00. bill clinton also has stops planned in aiken and bluffton today. the former president has been busy shoring up support for his wife. clinton rallied a packed gymnasium in winnsboro yesterday telling the e owd hillary is the one candidate who can move this country forward. >> what we need to do is make

can see themselves in the picture of the future, so we can all rise together, that's what this election is about. >> rochelle: and the clinton's daughter chelsea will also be campaigning for her mom today. she'll be in charleston and right here in the capital city. for a complete list of her campaign stops, be sure to check out our website abccolumbia.com. rochelle: bernie sanders is back in the midlands today. sanders will be attending a "hbcu tour and rally" today at claflin university. that's today at 5:30. he'll also be holding a rally at the township auditorium right here in columbia tonight at 7:00. rochelle: and a reminder this morning that tomorrow is the democratic primary. crysty: polls open at 7:00 in the morning and close at 7:00 in the evening. remember, if you voted in the republican primary you cannot vote for a democrat this weekend.

coverage online and on air here tomorrow. crysty: the highway patrol has released video from the night lexington solicitor donnie myers was arrested and charged with dui. this is myers' third run-in with the law and this time calls to step down are getting louder. leading the charge are community members who have lost loved ones to drivers under the influence. dozens rallied outside the solicitor's office, all calling for myers to resign. while they say they don't discount myers' four decades of service, rallyers say these alcohol related incidents are unacceptable, dangerous and devastating to the community he serves. >> donnie is a wreck waiting to happen. he's reckless, he's going to hurt somebody if he doesn't hurt himself. >> crysty: myers' critics say they'll search for someone to run against him in this year's solicitor's race. crysty: still to come, a tragedy in kansas. >> rochelle: we have the latest on the investigation into a

>> jonathan: clear skies and a cool start to your friday forecast, temperatures getting closer and closer to freezing all morning but we will see a lot of sunshine. i'll tell what you to expect for the rest of the day.

main and gervais. >> rochelle: welcome back, thanks for waking up with us for good morning columbia, your time is 6:12. here's a quick look at stories that are making headlines across the country.

in south-central kansas. authorities say a gunman drove through hesston, kansas, taking shots at people before storming into the factory where he worked killing three people and injuring 14 others before being shot and killed by police. according to law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation, the gunman has been identified as 38-year old cedric larry ford but police have not officially identified the suspect. rochelle: mississippi's governor is proclaiming april as confederate heritage month but without mentioning slavery. the proclamation was posted to the mississippi sons of confederate veterans website but not the governor's site. it was signed days before legislators killed bills that would have either removed the confederate battle emblem from the state flag or stripped state money from colleges and local governments that refuse to fly the current banner. rochelle: back here at home the puppy shot 18 times in rock hill got some extra cuddles today from the little girl he will eventually go home with. brody is recovering remarkably well after two teen boys are

throwing a knife at him. the puppy got some tlc from his new forever family as he continues his recovery. what a cuteie pie. rochelle: the regular season of gamecock basketball is wrapping up. crysty, what can you tell us about this weekend's games? >> crysty: carolina baseball gets back in action today at 4:00 against penn state. tomorrow the gamecock men's basketball team travels to mississippi state. and sunday the usc women will try to close out the regular season in style at the colonial life arena. our tim hill explains in this morning's sports minute to win it. >> tiffany mitchell not starting. usc game, her replacement scores the first two points. the front court dominating.

her. asia wilson leads usc with 16 points. the gamecocks turn the ball over 29 times but they still go onto win relatively comfortable at old miss 66-45 the final score, usc one game away from its first undefeated season. it will play this sunday in the regular rally. i'm tim hill with your sports minute to win it. hope it gets your weekend off to a good start. crysty: still to come: we're still talking hoops but we're not taking to the basketball court. we've got all the details on a city-wide effort to save lives.

gervais. rochelle: welcome back to good morning, columbia. thanks for waking up with us this morning, your time right now is 6:18. >> jonathan: let's take a bite out of your morning menu, sponsored by bojangles'. yesterday's national chili day celebration into the weekend at music farm columbia. tomorrow night you can enjoy a bowl of "famously hot" chili with a cold beverage and great live music. this is all part of the palladium society's annual chili cook-off. tickets range from $20 to $40 and all the fun starts at 5:00 p.m. and you have another chance to give back to another cause.

race against hunger to help feed hungry. this encourages donations and volunteer work in food pantries or other organizations. the race starts at 8:15 in the morning. it begins and end at the presbyterian church located off sunset boulevard. some good opportunities to give back and fill your belly and hopefully we won't need the coat much longer. >> jonathan: we certainly will need the coat, yesterday was a chilly day and forecast is looking chilly, it's a couple good days to whip up chili. it is cold this morning, keep it in mine, want to bundle upright now but during the daytime hours all in all won't be too bad. look to mid to upper 50s, similar forecast, we will carry lots of sun through the start of next week but we will flip the winds out of the south and that

that will keep us in the 50s, upper 60s sunday and 80s for a good -- 70s for a good portion of next week. >> rochelle: we will get there slowly, you have to crawl before you walk, all i can think about is chili. let's check out what is making headlines later today. >> jonathan: here's crysty with your "look ahead." >> crysty: we have a big event this weekend for veterans. the dorn va medical center along with va medical centers around the nation are hosting a "national veterans access stand down." the purpose of the stand down is to further expedite veteran's access to needed health care services. make it more efficient for them. dorn va's medical director is inviting all veterans to attend an informational open house tomorrow on this. it starts at 8:00 in the morning in the hospital's main lobby. information will include services offered, improvements to patient care and veterans benefits. crysty: the red cross is asking for you to roll up your

morning. the red cross along with the city of columbia is hosting the sixth annual columbia lifesavers "hoop it up" blood drive today. to help out you can stop by from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the columbia metropolitan convention center. the red cross says the winter months are in need of blood donations, we are asking folks to come out between 7:00 and 3:00 today. >> rochelle: there's plenty of time before you go to work, during lunch or after work. >> crysty: and they are giving away t-shirts. >> rochelle: you don't walk away empty handed. thanks, crysty. rochelle: still to come: our coverage of vote 2016 continues. we're taking a look at how candidates stand in regards to racial justice. stay with us. we're live from main and gervais.

in today's "techbytes" -- a major reversal by mercedes. >> the german luxury automaker replacing robots with humans. you heard that right. they just can't keep up with the individuallization of humans. tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of pokemon. it's showing no signs of letting up. >> events marking the big birthday being held around the world. and "fuller house" is now streaming on netflix. fans are beyond excited. >> most of the original stars are back for the '80s classic except the olsen twins who say they don't act anymore. twitter is on fire for fan reaction. most saying they're stage up all night and all day to binge watch. >> so what are we waiting for? let's get out of here.

>> have a great day. only kraft natural cheese has a touch of philadelphia cream cheese, so whatever you make,

33 we're just one day away >> crysty: welcome back to good morning columbia. we're just one day away from the democratic primary here in south carolina. >> rochelle: can you believe it, we've been talking about it for so long and now it's up on us. ahead of saturday's vote we're continuing to take a closer look at where the candidates stand on some of the hot-button issues this election.

justice. political experts say the key for both clinton and sanders will be gaining support from the african-american community across the palmetto state which makes up more than half the electorate. during their campaign stops in the palmetto state each candidate has made their case to african-american voters outlining plans to end racial inequality. >> i think it's important for people and particularly for white people, to be honest about those, and to recognize that our experiences may not equip us to understand what a lot of our african-american fellow citizens go through every single day. >> when youth unemployment in the african-american community for high school graduates is 51%, 51% unemployed or underemployed. we've got a plan to invest in jobs and education, not jails and incarceration. >> rochelle: on sanders'

inequality he outlines these plans which overlap wh his plan to improve the justice department. sanders says he will end the over-incarceration on nonviolent young americans who don't pose a serious threat to society. sanders is also looking to rebuild the relationships between communities and law enforcement. sanders plan includes demilitarizing police forces creating new rules on the allowable use of force and requiring body cameras to increase accountability. the views aren't a far cry from what his competition is offering up. >> crysty: according to hillary clinton's page on racial justice she plans to strengthen the bonds of trust between communities and police. when it comes to criminal justice, clinton says she plans to make body cameras available to every police department, end racial profiling and invest in law enforcement training programs. and this is all just the tip of

stance on racial justice don't end at reforming the criminal justice system. >> rochelle: you can find all these stances along with how the candidates plan to address economic and environmental inequalities on their campaign sites. and a wrap up is on our website and you can check it out at abccolumbia.com. crysty: still to come: we're shifting our attention to the other side of the political fence. >> rochelle: we're finding out how the republican presidential candidates fared in last night's debate. stay with us.

crysty: good morning, columbia. thank you so much for waking up with us on this friday morning. i'm crysty vaughan. >> rochelle: and i'm rochelle dean. we're live from main and gervais. the time's now 6:32. >> crysty: heading outlooks like a cold start to friday but we might be looking at a nicer time. >> rochelle: we have to get through a lull, have a jacket because the sunshine won't warm

let's turn things over to jonathan kennedy for a look at the weather. >> jonathan: thankfully it's friday but a little cold, we are seeing the wind work against us, not as breezy but the direction coming from the north and west, that should bring us colder air. technically out of the west and southwest, levels at 6 miles a hour, 34 downtown so we are cooling down, we started out at 38 as we came on the air at 5:00 and cooled down a couple degrees since then. we will see that throughout the day and sunshine. temperatures just above freezing for most of us, a couple spots at freezing, newberry, wagner, usual suspect are cooler than us. lexington 38. orangeburg to our south 38. not everybody is seeing the bitter, bitter cold but still it will feel cold as you head out. light wind 5 to 8 miles a hour

feels like 27 over in newberry. i mention the wind will be out of the west today and generally out of the northwest later on this afternoon, that should keep us cooler. if we had winds out of our south, i'd say we would easily be in the 60s, but because they are not out of the south we will be stuck in the mid-50s. look at this cold pocket of air and snow falling across much of the ohio valley into west virginia and pennsylvania, kentucky, even southwestern virginia and north carolina and tennessee. so, still a lot of cold air out there and thankfully we won't see the brunt of the impact, they won't see the moisture like they are with the snow fall, it won't be frozen for us, it will be cold this morning but as we warm up later this afternoon, temperatures applied to upper 50s, not too bad but it will be a little below average for us today, thankfully the winds will be a little lighter. they will be a cool breeze for

mile per hour winds we are seeing. >> rochelle: not knocking over planters and trash cans. >> crysty: patio furnituring. >> we won't have to tie things down. >> rochelle: there is a sense we are going in the right direction, that's promising. crysty: we want to give you a quick traffic update as you head out and about this morning. >> rochelle: that's right, good news here,e, there are no trouble spots to report in or around the capital city but as always we are keeping our eye on the road and make sure we update you if anything changes as you get ready to head out on that morning commute. abc columbia wants to help you jump start your day. >> crysty: we have a quick rundown of your top morning headlines. we will start with breaking news out of the low country. this morni. officials say a berkely county sheriff's deputy is in the hospital this morning after being shot while attempting to make an early morning arrest. >> rochelle: that's right, this is the information coming into our news room right now.

the berkley sheriff's office says it is a female deputy. her name has not yet been released. the deputy is currently undergoing surgery and is listed in stable condition. there is no arrest but officials are in an armed stand off with the suspect. count on abc columbia to continue to follow this story and bring you more updates as they become available. >> crysty: to our other top story, vote 2016. the republican presidential hopefuls are coming off their final debate before super tuesday. gop front-runner donald trump was the target. marco rubio and ted cruz targeted trump's business record, personal wealth and commitment to conservative social issues.

statements likely. before super tuesday the must first focus on voters here tomorrow's primary. will continue her campaign efforts here in the midlands today. out the vote hbcu rally" today at south carolina state university. that's going to take place at then later tonight, hillary clinton will be joined by her husband and former president bill clinton for another rally in boyd plaza. that's at the corner of hampton and main street. the rally starts at 8:00. bill clinton has been busy shoring up support for his wife. he has planned stops in aiken and bluffton. and chelsea clinton will be here and charleston. you can find her stops on the website. rochelle: bernie sanders is

"hbcu tour and rally" today at claflin university. that's today at 5:30. he'll also be holding a rally at the township auditorium right here in columbia tonight at 7:00. and a reminder this morning that tomorrow is the democratic primary. >> crysty: polls open at 7:00 in the morning and close at 7:00 in the evening. remember, if you voted in the republican primary you cannot vote for a democrat this weekend. we'll have complete primary coverage online and on air here tomorrow night on abc columbia. crysty: a nearly $8 billion budget proposal is heading to the house floor. the spending plan gives money to kindergarten through 12th grade education and forgives $12 million in loans to south carolina s ste university. but the historically black university must meet certain conditions, including a yearly increase in enrollment and have

dollars to income tax relief road projects and flood-devastated farmers. speaking of flood relief for farmers, sce&g has donated $25,000 to "plant it forward south carolina." the organization provides funds to cover a portion of seed costs for farmers. total losses from last october's flood are expected to exceed $500 million. and a devastating loss to farmers, home openers and businesses, it's good to see folks are trying to get back on track. >> rochelle: that's right, so many people have been affected across the board and the out pooring of support continues. >> crysty: devastating for our state. crysty: still to come, if you're looking to add a four-legged friend to the family, you're in luck. >> rochelle: we're introducing you to a loveable pup in need of a forever home. >> jonathan: and a clear and cold start to your friday forecast, right now 34 downtown, places colder than that with wind. we'll see sunshine today, i'll let you know what to expect for

main and gervais. welcome back, elizabeth childers is here from pawmetto life line. we have a special guest, pokey. >> we think she is 2 years old, she's a lab mix, she's one of our special cases so we are looking for a special home for her. she has been with us for a little while, you can tell she was -- she is missing an eye but our vets think she was born without it, so no abuse or anything. but she is also heart worm positive and what that means is she will just need to be on medication for the neck couple

pawmetto life line. all included come the adoption fee, pay the normal adoption fee and we will cover all the medical. >> so she will be up to speed medically. if you are looking for a dog, maybe someone older or without kid, a fur buddy, she is so sweet and calm, she will be your forever friend, i promise you. let talk about camp, i thought this was just for pets but this is for kids to get used to pets. >> we do our fur camp, ages 5-12, we do two sessions 5-7 and 8-12 age ranges and those session dates are on our website and facebook page but they will come in and learn what it is like to have a pet and responsible pet ownership. if they have a pet or not, they are welcome to come and learn more about it. they will learn about our

to work for an animal organization and what we do in the community. >> parents, you know at one point they will ask for a pet. before you go out and get a dog or cat, it's a big responsibility, get them used to this before they make a life long commitment. look at pokey, usually we have to chase the dogs around but pokey just wants to be your friend. i have no doubt you will be adopted in no time. we are coming right back from

keep it right here. >> rochelle: welcome back to good morning columbia, your time is 6:48. the apple watch failed to be the popular stocking stuffer that apple had in mind. while apple doesn't publically disclose its watch sales, a new report from market intel firm idc shows that apple shipped about 4.1 million of its smart-watches during the last three months of 2015. most investors predicted that apple would sell at least 5 million. back in july ceo tim cook told analysts they were convinced the watch would be one of the top gifts of the holiday. apple had no comment on the idc report. rochelle: mcdonald's is hoping customers will be loving

item. starting next week, people in a couplelef california cities will be able to purchase two different types of low-carb breakfast bowls, one with egg whites, turkey sausage, spinach and kale that clocks in at only 250 calories and another with scrambled egss and chorizo sausage with hasbrowns salsa and pico de gallo, the calorie count coming in at 460. mcdonald's will also begin using lower-calorie chobani greek yogurt in its parfaits and smoothies. sounds delicious. rochelle: and one spa is proving to be a hopping success in oregon. america's first "beer spa" has opened its doors. as it turns out taking a bath in the brew could be good for you when it comes to relieving pain and aches. the business has only been in business a week but is already expanding with plans in the work for a beer garden and a new coffee with hops in it. rochelle: the celebrities

weekend should they take home that coveted oscar. ysty, what can you t tl us about this weekend's academy awards. >> crysty: rochelle, it's a red carpet night. the members of the academy may have already voted for the winners of this year's oscars but that isn't stopping vie buffs from weighing in. the betting website bovada has compiled its current odds for the awards. if it were up to bovada 2016 would finally be leonardo dicaprio's year. they're predicted dicaprio to nab that ever elusive best actor oscar. and things are looking even better for dicaprio with the "revenant" the odds-on favorite to win this weekend. as for best actress, brie larson gets bovada's nod to win for her role in "the room." but you don't have to wait until sunday to catch all the glitz and glamour. you can see some of the most notable 2016 oscar nominees tonight on "journey to the oscars." it's an hour long special

the star-studded hour will feature sylvestor stallone, brie larson and matt damon and more as they rereect on the key moments that have defined them as artists. of course, that's tonight at 10:00 right here on abc columbia. and, remember, the red carpet will be rolling out this sunday. it's a night of fame, fashion and films right here on abc columbia starting at 7:00. crysty: still to come, it's rags to riches. how internet sensation is getting the real deal after touching the hearts of many. that story is next. thanks for waking up with us.

gervais. >> jonathan: good friday morning, sun is trying to come up for us, i think we will see a lot of it, clear skies across the area, a few clouds but all the disturbance is to our north and west, nothing to worry about rain fall, snow on the mountains but nothing to worry about for us. warming up to the upper 50s later this afternoon. >> crysty: thank you, jonathan. for you columbia firefly fans, tickets go on sale today for opening today. the 2016 season will kickoff soon at spirit communications

>> rochelle: not long now, tickets are available on the website. the fireflies are kicking off their season april 14th against the greenville drive and for an added bonus there will be a fireworks show for opening night and again on july 4th, somethings happening out there. >> crysty: a lot of buzz literally. firefly buzz. >> rochelle: they make some kind of noise. >> crysty: we've been following the construction at communications park and looks like it will be a massive facility. crysty: still to come, we're remembering a past oscar winner before this weekends big awards show next in your day in

main and gervais. >> jonathan: a chilly start to your friday, we are looking at cold conditions but they will warm up for us, we are shy of 60. we are below average by late february standards. certainly cold tonight, warm upcoming our way, upper 60s and in the 70s by next week. >> rochelle: thank you, we are continuing to follow breaking news out of the low country. officials say a berkeley county sheriff's deputy is in the hospital after being shot while attempting to make an early morning arrest. >> rochelle: we have been following this case from several

the scene where officials are armed in that stand off, where it occurred. after an armed stand off, officials are reporting the suspect in question is dead at this hour. again that officer is in the hospital. chief deputy mike cochran with the berkley sheriff's office says it is a female deputy. her name has not yet been released. the deputy is currently undergoing surgery and is listed in stable condition. count on abc columbia to continue to follow this story and bring you more updates as they become available. >> crysty: there is heightened awareness for a lots of the officer-involved shooting and a lot of crews, we are told shred ininvestigating and this is in berkeley county in the low country. >> rochelle: we will continue to update you as soon as more information becomes available.

good morning, america. breaking overnight, deadly shooting. >> the gun was strapped to him. he was ready to go. >> the chase to stop the rampage. four killed. more than a dozen injured. what we're learning this morning about the gunman and the hero cop who brought him down. fireworks at the gop debate. >> this guy's a choke artist. >> donald trump targeted from all sides. >> if he builds the wall the way he belt trump towow he'll be using ill immigrant labor to do it. >> rubio rune looking to make it a two-man race overnight. is it too little too late with super tuesdays away? marco rubio joins us this morning. a bombshell in court. the shocking video that erin andrews never wanted anyone to see played in court for the jury. the "dancing with the stars" host in tears as she gets set to testify in that $75 million trial. and get ready for gold. it's almost time for oscar and all eyes on host chris rock. >> i'm only here cause ellen didn't want to do the show.