Experts say leaving faucets dripping and cabinets open should keep pipes from bursting, residents should also unscrew outdoor hose pipes and cover the water spouts to keep them from freezing. Brad Cole, co-owner of American Swimming Pool Company of Montgomery suggests buying foam insulators for the job, he adds the potential increase in your water bill from leaving faucets dripping is much lower than the cost of getting busted pipes repaired.
School Delays
More than 30 Alabama school systems are delaying opening on Thursday because of forecasts of bitterly cold weather. Most of the postponements are in north and central Alabama. But systems as far south as southeast Alabama also are telling students to come later than normal. Officials are delaying openings because of temperatures in the single-digits and teens and wind-chill readings that are expected to fall below zero in areas.
Accidental Shooting
Montgomery Police say an accidental shooting claimed the life of a 3-year-old boy on New Year's Eve. An investigation revealed 3-year-old Quinton Gibson Jr. accidently shot himself in the chest with a gun found inside his mother bedroom. The incident happened at a home around 2 p.m. in the 1700 block of Yarbourough Street. The family is seeking donations to help pay for the child's funeral which is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. at Ross-Clayton Funeral Home.
Baby Abandoned
Authorities are considering whether to file charges against a teenager suspected of leaving her unborn daughter outside in the cold. Jefferson County sheriff's officials say they received a call Tuesday night after residents found an infant dressed in a short-sleeved outfit and wrapped in a towel in their yard in 40 degree weather. Authorities day an investigation determined the mother is a 15-year-old who hid her pregnancy from her parents. She gave birth at home before slipping outside to leave the child near her neighbor's front door. Bother mother and child went to a hospital and are in good condition.
Rawls Retires
Associated Press reporter Phillip Rawls is retiring as the longest-serving member of Alabama's Capitol press corps. Rawls' tenure spanned seven Alabama governors, from George Wallace to Robert Bentley. He covered 35 regular session of the Legislature. The 63-year-old Rawls developed a reputation for fairness and accuracy during a 40-year career, nearly all of it spent with the AP covering politics and government in Montgomery.