It’s not even Thanksgiving, but they’re gearing up for Christmas at Bel-Ridge Baptist Church in Belvedere, South Carolina. The church is a collection spot for “Operation Christmas Child.“ The project collects shoeboxes packed with gifts for children in more than 100 impoverished countries.

State budget cuts forcing school districts across the state to scramble to find ways to do the job with millions less. The Columbia County Board of Education voted Tuesday night to adjust the calendar for teacher furloughs. Those days will be moved to the week of Thanksgiving.

The Thanksgiving holiday travel period ended Sunday night with 15 traffic deaths reported to the Georgia State Patrol. While the number of traffic deaths was lower than expected, rainfall across the state since Friday contributed to a higher than normal number of traffic crashes and injuries on Georgia roads.

The holiday shopping season got off to its traditional start Friday, with stores slashing prices to lure customers, who were expected to be especially bargain conscious this year due to the shaky economy.

It’s become the biggest Thanksgiving tradition in Aiken County. Thousands turned out for a free dinner and hundreds spent their time making sure it all got done.  WJBF News Channel 6’s Barclay Bishop has more.

Some are going by land, others by air, and some are staying put. Many say the economy is what’s keeping them close to home, and say the only thing they plan to spend this holiday…is time with family. Count on Joy Howe for the story.

According to a release, one of the busiest travel holidays of the year is only hours away and the Georgia DOT (GADOT) is advising motorists to expect delays, plan ahead, and be patient. If Wednesday’s traffic is anything like the past few years, congestion will begin to build on Georgia’s roads by noon, three to four hours earlier than usual. Motorists should plan to travel in the morning, or after 6:00 p.m.

A 29-year-old Columbia County woman who is the face of a lawsuit challenging Georgia’s crackdown on sex offenders will be allowed to stay in her home through Thanksgiving.
   

It’s the time of year for travel, but with so many people cutting corners to save money, experts say more people may forgo their thanksgiving travel traditions. WJBF News Channel Six’s Paige Tucker finds out if those predictions will ring true in the two-state.

Thanksgiving, Black Friday weekend closure restrictions imposed through Sunday night

Lower gas prices expected to make Thanksgiving travel busy in South Carolina.

Every year, the President pardons a turkey and spares it from ending up on your Thanksgiving table. This year’s lucky turkey will come from a group of 12 at Circle Hill Farms in Ellsworth, Iowa.

The Jonas Brothers will perform during halftime of the Dallas Cowboys’ nationally televised Thanksgiving Day game against the Seattle Seahawks.