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Read United returns to classrooms
read united
Guest readers visited Liberty Elementary School on January 26 as part of the annual Read United Day, a program that started in Liberty County more than a decade ago and has branched out to other United Way of the Coastal Empire counties. Photos provided

United Way volunteers spread out across classrooms in Bryan, Effingham, and Liberty counties on January 26 for the first part of Read United Day and across Chatham County on February 2.

On Read United Day, United Way volunteers and community leaders read and give books to thousands of Pre-K through second- grade students. Throughout this two-day initiative, nearly 1,000 volunteers will read to roughly 1,000 classrooms in 60 schools across our four-county region, giving almost 20,000 new books to local students.

Read United Day is part of Read United, which is a yearround series of programs to improve early language and literacy for all children in United Way’s service area.

“I think it has been working great,” said United Way of Liberty County area director Kristin Hopkins-Graham. “It’s grown over the years. We have some other programs that started like Reading Buddies in Chatham County. We know how important and vital literacy is.”

Read United Day started more than 10 years ago in Liberty County, Hopkins-Graham pointed out, and it has now spread to the other three counties under the United Way of the Coastal Empire.

“Reading is vital to the success of our children and the future of our entire region,” says Brynn Grant, president and CEO of United Way of the Coastal Empire. “Sixty-one percent of low-income families do not have any books in their homes, and through this initiative, we can help change that. We are grateful for the sponsors, donors, and volunteers who made it possible to give nearly every student in pre-K through second grade across our region a book of their very own.”

“Everything starts with literacy,” Hopkins-Graham added. “If someone can’t read, how can they function and be successful in life? We’re investing into our youngest citizens to help increase our workforce of skilled workers and professional workers.”

With the addition of Savannah- Chatham County Public Schools this past year, Read United Day nearly tripled the number of classrooms served and, therefore, the number of volunteers and books needed.

“We are sincerely grateful for the nearly 1,000 volunteers and community leaders who stepped up to read in the classroom this year,” said Cheri Dean, vice president of direct services and impact at United Way of the Coastal Empire. “It has been rewarding to see the joy on the faces of the students as the volunteers read to them and gave them books to take home. This year was a big undertaking, and we are grateful for our many partners who helped make this year’s Read United Day possible.”

This year’s Read United Day sponsors include Vystar Credit Union, Gateway Terminals, WTOC, and many other community partners.

“It takes everybody to make this program happen,” said Hopkins- Graham, who also noted that some schools have a waiting list of guest readers.

read united
read united
read united
United Way of Liberty County area director Kristin Hopkins-Graham, United Way of the Coastal Empire CEO Brynn
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Next week's forecast calls for snow
snow
Forecasts call for snow Tuesday and possibly Wednesday.

Coastal Georgia residents could be in for a weather phenomenon that hasn’t taken place in several years.

The National Weather Service’s forecast for early next week calls for a chance of snow on Tuesday, and some freezing precipitation could come as early as Monday, said a meteorologist with the NWS’ office in Charleston, S.C.

“It will be unseasonably cold next week, particularly beginning on Monday,” said meteorologist Jonathan Lamb. “As far as the potential for wintry precipitation, there is a decent chance we could see some snow or freezing rain next week.”

Lamb said Monday night through Tuesday night is the window with the most chance for snow or freezing rain, though some forecast models also call for precipitation at the end of next week.

There hasn’t been snow in Hinesville since 2018 and longtime residents may remember the “White Christmas” of 1989. The last measurable snow in Hinesville occurred January 3, 2018, according to the NWS.

According to the National Weather Service’s forecast, there is a chance of snow Tuesday before 1 p.m., followed by a chance of rain between 1 and 4 p.m., with a chance of rain and snow after 4 p.m. Snow is likely Tuesday evening after 7 p.m., and temperatures overnight will drop into the low 20s.

There is also a 20% chance of snow Wednesday.

But snow and freezing rain also bring dangers, especially to the roads. Bridges and elevated roads also run the risk of icing over.

“In the Southeast, we’re not accustomed to a lot of wintry precipitation,” Lamb said. “People overestimate their capabilities for driving. They kind of assume the roads are completely cleared. But there are so many places where patches of ice can form. If you hit one patch of ice and are braking or turning, you could completely lose control. Our number one advice is to stay off the roads if you absolutely can.”

The state Department of Transportation urges drivers to follow safety precautions during hazardous weather, such as freezing rain or snow. Even melting snow can refreeze overnight and lead to a condition known as “black ice” on roads.

The Georgia DOT recommends drivers do the following:

• Beware of black ice (especially on bridges and overpasses) and watch for fallen trees or power lines

• Avoid driving unless absolutely necessary or postpone until daylight when road conditions, such as black ice, may be visible

• Do not pass a GDOT dump truck spreading salt/gravel; gravel may kick up and could break car windows. Follow at least 100 feet behind these vehicles

• Be aware of GDOT work crews who clear snow and ice from interstates and state routes

• Slow down to at least half of the normal speed limit and drive in low gear

• Treat a non-working traffic signal as a four-way stop

GDOT also prioritizes achieving and maintaining passable road conditions during winter weather. According to a GDOT spokesperson, among the priorities are keeping roads safe for emergency vehicles and has a goal of maintaining all lanes as passable unless the storm’s severity dictates otherwise.

GDOT crews will focus first on interstates, then on the most heavily-traveled state routes and then to lesser-traveled state routes. Crews also will pretreat bridges and overpasses prior to snow and ice conditions and consistently monitor those spans.

 

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