WICS ABC 20
Chatham's Kelci Bryant Makes Olympic Team
- Title
- Chatham's Kelci Bryant Makes Olympic Team
- Runtime
- 0:20
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Chatham native and Olympic diver Kelci Bryant qualified for her second straight Olympics Friday night in Washington.
- Title
- Viewer Photo Friday - February 28
- Runtime
- 1:00
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Viewer show us how they're curing cabin fever.
- Title
- Rochester is Ready for Rock Island Alleman
- Runtime
- 0:51
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Rochester is in a familiar situation they are used to playing in the state semifinals and they are used to facing Rock Island Alleman only usually it's in the state final.
- Title
- Plains Volleyball a Tough Sangamo Team
- Runtime
- 1:17
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- The Pleasant Plains Cardinals beat a tough Williamsville team on Thursday proving they are a major player in the Sangamo race this season.
- Title
- AP Football Rankings Released Rochester Stays
- Runtime
- 0:43
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- High School football rankings released this afternoon and we start in 5A where the SHG Cyclones drop to 5 from 2. Glenwood staying put in 5A at number 9.
In 4A Rochester stays ranked number 1, while Jacksonville falls from number 2 to number 7 after losing to Glenwoood.
In 3A Williamsville remains undefeated, but drops one spot to number 5. In 2A Maroa-Forsyth remains number 1 in 2A Argenta-Oreana falls from number 7 to number 10.
- Title
- SCANDAL SNEAK LEAK!
- Runtime
- 0:55
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Scandal returns Thursday, February 27th at 9PM on ABC 20!
- Title
- Caption This - February 26
- Runtime
- 0:49
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Check the WICS ABC 20 Facebook page every Tuesday to see the week's photo and submit your caption. We'll feature some of our favorites Wednesday on Sunrise This Morning.
- Title
- Oldest Man to Complete Air Climb Inspires Others
- Runtime
- 2:49
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- This story originally aired February 22, 2014.
- Title
- Sangamon County Residents Clean Up After EF-1 Tornado
- Runtime
- 2:29
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- It has been just over 24 hours since tornadoes rolled through parts of our area, and residents are wasting no time cleaning up. The National Weather Service has confirmed an EF-1 tornado tore through parts of Sangamon County, including Mechanicsburg.ABC NewsChannel 20 has been following the situation in Mechanicsburg since Thursday evening. Finally, with daylight Friday, homeowners were able to get a look at some of the damage. Residents in eastern Sangamon County say it's devastating, but know things could have been much worse.We just finished the shed this summer, and there is nothing left, said homeowner, Nick Bestudik.What once was Nick Bestudik's shed now wraps around a tree and litters a nearby field. Amazingly, the tornado caused little damage to his home that was protecting his family inside.I opened the garage door and it was a hurricane and it sucked the door out of my hand. It was everything I could do to get myself downstairs in time. Luckily the wife and dogs were already ...
- Title
- Caption This - February 19
- Runtime
- 0:47
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Title
- Waste Watch: Most Expensive Lawsuit
- Runtime
- 0:16
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Sangamon County has spent $2.4 million to defend a federal lawsuit that hasn't even made it to court. It revolves around a jail inmate who died in 2007. His family is suing, and although they're willing to settle, county leaders aren't, and the costs of the case continue to add up.
Tonight on Nightside, in a new Waste Watch investigation, we look at why the lawsuit is so expensive, and why the county won't settle.
- Title
- AHA Wear Red Day
- Runtime
- 0:16
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Title
- "Lincoln" Movie Props, Costumes, and Sets on Display
- Runtime
- 2:55
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- This story originally aired January 16, 2014.
- Title
- Mold in Rented Home Prompts Tenant to Sue
- Runtime
- 2:14
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- This story originally aired January 16, 2014.
- Title
- Returning Airman Surprises Daughter at School
- Runtime
- 1:00
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- This story originally aired January 16, 2014.
- Title
- More People Moving Out of Illinois
- Runtime
- 2:39
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- This story originally aired January 10, 2014.
- Title
- Couples Baffled by Wedding Venue Foreclosure
- Runtime
- 2:53
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- This story originally aired January 9, 2014.
- Title
- Phone Scam Targets Marine Bank, Again
- Runtime
- 2:52
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- This story originally aired January 10, 2014.
- Title
- Tow Companies Respond To Dozens Of Slide Offs On I-55
- Runtime
- 1:31
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- The snow continued to fall in Springfield late Tuesday night causing road to remain snow covered and dangerous.By 9:00 p.m., some areas had more than inches of snow. But for some it doesn't matter how much snow fell because they already found trouble on the roads.This has been one of the worst winters I have seen in a long time, said Rick Smith, Owner of Capitol City Towing.It's the time of year Smith stays busy. Another snow fall, this time with near white conditions, were no match for many drivers along Interstate 55.The conditions are going to get worse. Night fall you aren't going to be able to see as far. There is going to be drifting snows, more accumulation and slicker roads, said Smith.We rode along with Capitol City Towing and came across dozens of different accidents. One driver slid off of I-55 just before the I-72 split. Luckily, they suffered no damage.A 3 car accident just minutes later in Chatham sent one women to the hospital with minor injuries.On a wintery day, ma...
- Title
- Featured Farm Photo - January 31
- Runtime
- 0:25
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Viewer Lisa Irving shared this sunset photo from just south of Glenarm.
- Title
- Cardinals Caravan
- Runtime
- 1:19
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- The Cardinals Caravan visits the Prairie Capital Convention Center Jan. 20.
- Title
- Cardinals Caravan
- Runtime
- 1:19
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- The Cardinals Caravan visits the Prairie Capital Convention Center Jan. 20.
- Title
- Ashland Barber Retires After 50 Years
- Runtime
- 1:37
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- A longtime Ashland barbershop closed its doors December 31. Neal Kesselring is retiring after 50 years in the business. Kesselring tells us he plans to do some fishing and hunting, spend time with his grandkids, and travel with his wife. He also plans to volunteer cutting hair at a local nursing home.
ABC Newschannel 20 photojournalist Stephen Bourque takes us inside Kesselring's shop on his last day at work.
- Title
- Small Business Saturday in Lincoln, Illinois
- Runtime
- 1:36
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Photojournalist Aaron Frye takes a look at Small Business Saturday in Lincoln, Illinois.
Air date: November 30th 2013
- Title
- Jacksonville's Kauffman Humbled by Ovation
- Runtime
- 1:02
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- It meant the world to me, said former Illini hoops standout Andy Kauffman, who was honored as part of the 1989 Flyin' Illini 25th Anniversary team last Saturday. Kauffman, who went to nearby Jacksonville High School, was thrilled to hear the ovation that followed his introduction during the ceremony.
- Title
- Springfield Frozen Bubbles Experiment - January 7, 2014
- Runtime
- 0:34
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- It's so cold here in Springfield, Illlinois, reporter Christina Mueller decided to try the frozen bubbles experiment for herself. Check out the results!
- Title
- Frigid Weather Blasts Across Midwest
- Runtime
- 2:05
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Illinois authorities are urging people to stay indoors and check on the elderly and disabled today as snow and dangerously low temperatures create a double whammy.
- Title
- Tornado Survivors Get Early Thanksgiving Meal
- Runtime
- 2:39
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- It's been almost 2 weeks since that EF4 tornado struck the town of Washington, but much of it looks the same.There are still piles of rubble as residents try to clean up what that storm left behind.But many of those residents also took time today to give thanks.I had a total loss, said Jessica Lutschg, the whole house is gone, I was in the basement with my daughter, the foundation, part of the ceilings in the basement were coming down, the pipes, the water.Our house isn't flattened, but still standing, said Jessica Shirley, but we're not living there, we're living in a Motel 8 for right now, until we find a home.It just totally levelled the home, said Rusty Torman, and took our vehicles, we had 3 vehicles, and it just totalled them out.Hundreds of residents in Washington offered similar stories, about how the ef4 tornado destroyed their homes on November 17th.Today many of them came to the 5 Points for a Thanksgiving meal, a welcome change from what they've been dealing with.It's been ...
- Title
- Friends, Family Tell Story of Route 66 Museum Founder Bill Shea
- Runtime
- 3:14
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- A well-known Springfield man has died. In his nearly 92 years, Bill Shea was a husband, a father, and he opened a time portal that kept a piece of history alive. Mr. Shea passed away this weekend, but his family says he lived a life of joy. One of his greatest accomplishments lies right along the mother road as it passes through the capital city.Friends say Springfield lost a great man this weekend. Bill Shea was a World War II veteran and the founder of Shea's Route 66 Museum. It was there that thousands of people from nearly 100 different countries around the world came to visit with him. Here's what family and friends had to say about Bill Shea in their own words.Bill was an original. He was a character, said Mark McBride, a friend of Shea's and frequent visitor of the museum. He told it like it is. He's just an honest and straight-forward guy, just fun to be around.He was my father and my best friend, said William Thomas Shea.He could talk to anybody, said life-long friend...
- Title
- Ric Kearbey
- Runtime
- 0:06
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Happy Holiday from NewsChannel 20
- Title
- How Safe Are Debit and Credit Cards Once We Swipe Them?
- Runtime
- 2:05
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- With the security breach at Target, making sure your financial information is safe is a growing concern. Hackers continue to find loop holes, while the use of credit and debit cards are on the rise. But what really happens after we swipe our debit or credit card at our favorite store? The answer may suprise you. We swipe our debit and credit cards for some food here, some gas there and never give it a second thought. Experts warn we should be more cautious, because our bank information is out there, waiting to be stolen. Think before you swipe. That's the message technology experts stress, after a new type of security breach is taking hold. The most recent case was at Target stores. The type of breach they had where you take the entire strip of data off the credit card allows you to create a clone of a credit card, said Professor Lucinda Caughey, a Computer Science professor at UIS. Many of us use credit and debit cards for convenience, especially for those larger purchases. Professor ...
- Title
- Washington One Month Later: Winter Weather Hampers Tornado Recovery
- Runtime
- 2:07
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- The town of Washington is battling new obstacles after inches-upon-inches of snow was dumped on the tornado-ravaged city earlier this week. But even the blanket of snow can't hide the devastation the community is feeling.Items you would likely see tucked under a Christmas tree were tossed to the curb instead and are now encrusted in ice. The skeletons of former homes that are still able to stand are exposed to the cold as memories are whisked away in the wind.Everything. Pictures [...] you know, it's all gone, Richard Blaine, who lost his home in the November 17th tornadoes, said. Somewhere inside a flattened Washington neighborhood now crawling with contractors is Blaine's antique, model car collection.It's miles from the hotel Blaine and his wife have been staying in the last month. But the couple is thankful. They insist everything they lost is really just stuff.The most important thing is by the grace of God my family is fine. And my animals are fine. They survived a week by [thems...
- Title
- Public Transportation Taking Steps To Ensure A Smooth Ride During Cold Weather
- Runtime
- 2:11
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Some of us have already had that helpless feeling this year. We are about to leave for work and our car won't budge. There are people prepared to take us where we need to go, no matter what the weather outside, but even they are preparing for mechanical problems. Local mechanics are hard at work because of the recent cold spell. If you get a battery that's going bad, or a battery that is low, a cold weather snap like this will certainly finish the battery off, said Chuck Blankenship, General Manager of Schlosser's Transmission Service. Cars fill the shop at Schlosser's, but this may only be the beginning. As the weather gets colder you're going to see more and more problems occurring, said Blankenship. And when an issue does happen, people still need to get to work. We seen an increase of probably 100 trips per day, said Mike Antonacci, owner of the Lincoln Yellow Cab Company in Springfield. Lincoln Yellow Cab says that increase is from cold pedestrians or broken down vehicles. With th...
- Title
- SIU Healthcare Warns Patients About Missing Laptop Containing Medical Records
- Runtime
- 1:36
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- A security breach at a local health care facility has officials scrambling. SIU Healthcare says a laptop containing patient information has gone missing. SIU Healthcare says 1,891 patients have been affected. There was some period of time there before an inventory process found that the computer was missing, said Dr. Jerry Kruse, CEO of SIU Healthcare. SIU Healthcare says it now assumes the laptop was stolen from a locked office of a former orthopedic surgeon. Data on the laptop included full names, age, date of birth and medical record information from patients of Dr. Mark McAndrew. SIU Healthcare has sent letters to each patient who may have been affected. We reassured them that it doesn't involve any financial information, no social security number, no bank account number, no credit card number, no health insurance number of any kind, said Kruse. Even if that information was available, technology experts say thieves are only interested in one thing. They are just looking to pawn tha...
- Title
- ABC 20 Viewers Raise $58,400 for Red Cross
- Runtime
- 1:11
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Three days of giving. That's what we asked of you. And now, we're proud to announce you helped us raise $58,486.70 for the American Red Cross.That's $58,486 to help tornado victims in Gifford and Washington. Sunday saw 24 twisters, six lives lost, and at least 180 people injured. Mother Nature destroyed thousands of homes on Sunday. That's where your money will go: to help those who have lost everything.100 percent of the money raised will stay here in Illinois to help these storm victims.The money collected over the last few days will go to tornado victims' food, shelter, clothing, or any other needs they may have, Teresa Haley of the Red Cross said. We're asking people to donate with cash or check or credit card to help them with that effort.Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised this week, and more is still needed. But state emergency officials say donation facilities are full and cannot accommodate any more items.
- Title
- Rep. Davis Talks Tornado Relief
- Runtime
- 2:30
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- The town of Gifford is celebrating the fact that power has been restored to most places. But the rebuilding statewide is only just beginning after Sunday's deadly tornadoes. Rep. Rodney Davis joined us on ABC Newschannel 20 Nightside to discuss what comes next in the relief efforts.
- Title
- Officials: Training Saved Lives in Gifford
- Runtime
- 0:48
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- We're learning Gifford and Champaign County may have been one of the most-prepared counties in the state to handle Sunday's devastating tornadoes.Champaign County Board Chairman Alan Kurtz said it's because of training scenarios that took place this summer.Those mock drills included a simulated tornado in downtown Champaign. It allowed everybody from residents to business owners and first responders to move quickly. The county has an early warning system that alerts people to get to a safe place.I'll tell you, preparation could have saved lives here, Kurtz said. Preparation will help with the cleanup, and have these people back on their feet a lot sooner than hopefully if we weren't prepared. Kurtz said getting Gifford to rebuild is the next step for Champaign County. This week, they've already waived building permit requirements, to help expedite the process.
- Title
- SHG Football Fans, Community Rally for Washington
- Runtime
- 1:13
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Local businesses are helping fuel the Washington High School football team and fans when they visit Springfield for their semifinal match-up this weekend.Jersey Mike's, Cisco, Subway, and Jimmy John's are donating about 1,000 subs to fill the bellies of Washington football fans. Jersey Mike's is also making 100 more meals for the team and coaches to eat on their way home.Local business owners said helping the team was the least they could do.That tornado is pretty serious stuff, G. Abu Saba of Jersey Mike's said. Yeah, it's a business and we're here to make money, but what those people are going through up there is pretty brutal. I was actually working at our stores up there on Sunday when the storm came through, and then on my way back to Springfield, you could see the damage from 74.Faculty and parents at Sacred Heart-Griffin, which is hosting the big game, say donations have been pouring in from both local businesses and local people. -----Here's a list of businesses that have offer...
- Title
- Curfew Lifted for Washington Residents
- Runtime
- 0:24
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- The curfew is being lifted in Washington this evening. It's been in place from 6 p.m. until 7 a.m. all week, and was instituted for safety reasons.Despite the end of the curfew, emergency management officials said people will only be allowed to access certain heavily-damaged homes during specific hours.Sunday's tornado damaged or destroyed 1,000 homes in the Washington community.
- Title
- FEMA Gets Firsthand Look at Gifford Destruction
- Runtime
- 1:05
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Today, officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency began their survey of damage in places like Gifford.This is an important step in the state's request that Champaign County be declared a federal disaster area.If that happens, that opens up federal money to help the town rebuild.Today, the FEMA representatives say just because they are here doesn't mean people in town can necessarily count on federal money.I can't put a prediction on it, Nate Custer of FEMA said. It just depends how quickly the tally comes together and everything from practically one end of the state to the other is totaled up. And then, of course, it's not just the state total, but it is county by county.State officials said some 1,500 homes were damaged or destroyed Sunday, and they expect the total to rise.
- Title
- MacMurray Student Athletes Help Washington
- Runtime
- 2:08
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Students at Washington High School are back in class for the first time since the tornado swept through on Sunday. But cleanup efforts in the community are far from over. That's why some student athletes at MacMurray College are pitching in to help.
It was a disaster. It was something I've never seen before, said Derek James, MacMurray golf and women's basketball coach.
James, along with seven MacMurray student athletes, spent a day cleaning up Hillcrest Golf Course in Washington.
All the greens were ruined. There were vehicles, there were garages, there were numerous things on the course, said James.
With trees wedged into the greens and golf carts scattered, the group worked for hours. But MacMurray golf team member Logan Woolridge says it looked like barely a dent was made in the devastation.
Everything is gone. Especially the golf course. With cars in fairways and trees in greens, we worked on one fairway for probably three hours and it looked lik...
- Title
- State Offering Replacement SNAP Benefits for Tornado Victims
- Runtime
- 0:34
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- In light of the tornadoes that devastated 18 Illinois counties, the Illinois Department of Human Services will issue replacement Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits for food that was destroyed in the disaster.If you lost your SNAP benefits because of the storm, or experienced subsequent power outages lasting more than four hours, you have until 5 p.m. Wednesday, November 27 to request replacements. To do so, visit a state family and community resource center.
- Title
- Cleanup Begins in Gifford
- Runtime
- 0:57
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Cleanup began this morning for exhausted Gifford residents. This comes after a town hall meeting was held Tuesday night to hear the latest on the recovery effort.Champaign County Sheriff Dan Walsh said police will continue to monitor the town 24/7 to make sure only residents and approved contractors enter. With trucks, trailers, emergency equipment, and utility crews all working in Gifford, overcrowding has been an issue. But residents say all the help is appreciated. This is my community, and I want to do everything I can to help out my fellow people around here, because they are what keeps the lifeblood around here, said Derin Scott, whose home was destroyed by the tornado.I think we're one big family here, said Jean Hogan, who is leading a pet rescue effort. It's a wonderful, warm feeling.Volunteer coordinators tell us they don't need any more food or clothing donations. If you're hoping to volunteer in Gifford, you're asked to first contact the Red Cross or United Way before headin...
- Title
- From Gifford, Stories of Survival
- Runtime
- 2:25
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- From Gifford, the tornado-ravaged community of fewer than 1,000 residents, emerge stories of survival. -----John Christians calls it a miracle he's alive. The Gifford native was in his truck driving through the village when an EF3 tornado hit Sunday, leveling his home down to just the foundation.As volunteers he had never met before helped with cleanup, he found this: a picture of his mother as a child. It was taken about 80 years ago--and it's almost untouched.Remarkable some of the things you find that aren't broke, Christians said.As utility workers worked to restore power, volunteers and other workers helped clean up damage from the twister. As cleanup continues over the next few days, the weather may pose a problem. Rain is expected, ahead of freezing temperatures.Some of the electrical work will be hard to do in the rain, Champaign County EMA Director Rick Atterberry said. Some of the roofing work will be hard to do in the rain. If it's a drizzle, not downpour or storm, most of t...
- Title
- How You are Helping Tornado Victims
- Runtime
- 1:29
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- More than $33,000. That's how much money you helped raise for Illinois tornado victims just on Wednesday alone.Wow, Teresa Haley from the American Red Cross said. We are so grateful that our community stepped up to help other community members.And the donations continue to come in to the American Red Cross. People like Beverly Cavanaugh stopped by Thursday morning.I wish I could go down and help physically, but I can't, Cavanaugh said. So, what I can do is support them by giving money so they can get what they want.We are partnering with the American Red Cross through Friday, helping raise funds for those families now having to rebuild their lives. People like Simon Petravick. We met him earlier this week in Washington.My kids grew up here, Petravick said. This is home. We want to stay here. So, we'll be be back. And people like John Christians from Gifford, whose home is gone.The landscape is different, but the people will be the same, Christians said.All the money raised from the Ill...
- Title
- Facebook Pages Help Reconnect Lost Photos with Owners
- Runtime
- 0:28
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Some photos from the tornado-ravaged town of Washington are being found more than 100 miles away to the northeast. Facebook pages have started to show up with the goal of linking these lost photos with the families that likely have nothing left. It seems to be working. Brenda Strange from Grundy County posted a photo she found, and was able to track down the owners.
- Title
- FEMA to Begin Assessments Thursday
- Runtime
- 0:28
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Federal assessments of tornado-damaged property in Illinois are to begin Thursday.Gov. Pat Quinn's office says Federal Emergency Management Agency assessments are necessary so the state can request federal assistance.Five teams will look at damage to homes and businesses in Champaign, Grundy, Massac, Pope, Tazewell and Will counties. Sunday's tornadoes destroyed hundreds of homes and left six people dead in the state.The governor's office says federal and state emergency officials will meet with local government officials next month. That's when they'll find out how much money was spent on disaster-related expenses.Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
- Title
- FEMA Visiting Tornado-Damaged Communities
- Runtime
- 1:00
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Day four of tornado cleanup is underway across the state, and right now, teams of federal inspectors are visiting the disaster zones to assess damages.Gov. Pat Quinn's office said the Federal Emergency Management Agency's assessments are vital so the state can request federal assistance.Five teams will look at damage to homes and businesses in Tazewell and Champaign counties, among others.Quinn's office said federal and state emergency officials will meet with local officials next month to find out how much money has already been spent on disaster-related expenses.Local lawmakers are also preparing an application for federal assistance. They're urging anyone affected to carefully document what's been lost. Not only will that help with insurance claims, but the state needs to be very specific in its application. A separate fund is available for uninsured residents who have lost homes or property. Registration is through the Red Cross, and the money will be doled out depending on need.
- Title
- Cleanup Continues After Sunday Storms
- Runtime
- 5:39
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- UPDATED November 18, 11:00 a.m.-----People across Illinois and much of the Midwest woke up to a disaster zone this morning. -----Residents are left picking up the pieces in Washington as a tornado tore through the town of about 16,000 residents.Thousands are without power, and hundreds are without their homes.Illinois State Police estimate 250 to 500 homes were in the path of the storm.IDOT, Ameren, and Illinois State Police are focused on clearing fallen power lines, fixing major gas leaks, and making sure residents are obeying the curfew for safety precautions. No one is allowed to enter the town between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m.Mayor Gary Manier is trying to stay optimistic, but is shocked by the devastation.We'll do another sweep today to make sure there's no one trapped, and eventually we'll let residents in to start finding their memories, Manier said. Right now, we want to make sure it's safe for them. It's a slow process. I hope they're patient with us, and I hope they understand. We'r...
- Title
- Volunteers Now Allowed in Gifford
- Runtime
- 1:43
- Date posted
- 13 years ago
- Description
- Almost 48 hours after an EF3 tornado ripped through the village of Gifford, the first wave of volunteers is finally allowed inside to help. They were kept out, for their own safety, until today.The process is being coordinated by the American Red Cross and the United Way, using Gordyville as the staging ground for the more than 200 volunteers that showed up to help.They will be at it again Wednesday morning. Their goal is to make the volunteer process as efficient and safe as possible. Volunteers come here, we give them an application to fill out, United Way volunteer Lynn Peisker said. It helps us know what their skills are, and maybe what equipment they have that might be helpful. We have them sign some papers and get them matched with a homeowner that's expressed a need for volunteers.Volunteer sign-up starts again Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. and runs until 2:30 p.m. As a safety precaution, the Red Cross asks all volunteers to leave Gifford at dark. Volunteers should also make sure ...

