According to some renowned experts on weather, like Al Gore and President Obama, we are in the dawn of global warming.

As you celebrate that fact while you are shivering in the intense cold this morning, we would ask you to be cautious.

We sadly have one death already in Newton County as an older woman lost her life in a house fire on Thursday morning. While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, winter stands as the worst season for house fires because of heating methods.

If you use a fireplace make sure you have a clean chimney, use proper wood and make sure you clear the area of your stove or fireplace of anything that can burn.

Most importantly, please make sure you have a fire alarm and that its batteries are up to date.

Also, do not make a mistake and mix gasoline with kerosene or vice versa depending upon the heating device you have.

In other words, read the directions on heating devices and follow them.

If you go outside, watch for "black ice" while both driving and walking.

Bundle up in layers so that you don’t get frostbite, which can cause permanent damage to your skin.

If you have animals, be kind to them also; just because they have a body covered in fur doesn’t mean that this sustained freezing weather cannot harm them.