<font color=blue>INDUSTRY BUZZ:</font> Battle Bitter Winter Weather

Matt Overman owns Custom Cuts Lawn Care in Lafayette, Ind. During the winter months, a lot of his business centers around shoveling snow from his clients' properties.

He and his employees were out battling several inches of snow in temperatures that managed to reach only the teens and wind chills that cruised below zero degrees.

"The cold's not too bad," he said. "The wind is the real danger."

Temperatures and wind chills took a real plunge last week. High temperatures below zero and wind chills as low as minus 27 were expected.

People throughout the area were taking precautions.

"Layers, lots of layers," said Purdue student Matt Whalen. "Got my hoodie on, my jacket, gloves, sweatshirt, long sleeve shirt. I try to take the bus more and huddle as close as I can and walk as fast as I can."

Schools were doing their part, too.

"We have extra gloves, hats, boots, coats for children," said Amy Sloan, school nurse at Vinton Elementary School. Local churches and other charitable programs make sure Vinton and other schools have extras, just in case some children lose their gloves, their hats or just don't have the proper clothes.

"For the most part, the kids bundle up pretty well," Sloan said. "But there are always a few stragglers."

John Thieme of Lafayette said he likes the snow because it can help insulate buildings.

"It's not too bad with the cold yet, but with what they're calling for in the next day, people are going to have to be careful," he said while shoveling snow Wednesday morning at a building he co-owns in downtown Lafayette. "You've got to know your limits."

Thieme said cell phones can help keep people safe in the extreme weather and advised people not to travel without one, just in case of an emergency.

Dr. Yasemin Altuglu, a physician at St. Elizabeth Medical Center, said that with temperatures this cold, "the key would be not to go outdoors."

Anyone who must go outside should cover as much skin as possible, stay outside 30 minutes or less and drink water to stay hydrated, Altuglu said.

"Frostbite and hypothermia both result from overexposure," Altuglu said.

Alcohol should also be avoided, Altuglu said.

"It can give you a false sense of warmth."

With today's extreme cold, "it's not the day to go out and shovel snow," Altuglu said.

Purdue student Lawrence Raoux wouldn't have won the doctor's approval on Wednesday. He was seen walking through the Purdue Memorial Union on Wednesday clad only in a white T-shirt and shorts.

"My friend made me a bet and I decided to take his bet," Raoux said. "I'm also from California, so I have a lot of clothes like this. I decided to try it out."