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Rain is gone, but Chester Road still flooded

EDGEMOOR, SC (WBTV)- When the forecast calls for a lot of rain, everyone living on Raxter Road in Chester Countyknows what's coming.

Monday morning Paul Thomas he says Raxter Road was bone dry, but after all the rain we received in the area a low spot in the road was swamped with rushing water.

"You can't get across it, no sense in walking across it," said Thomas.

It's not the first time in 20 years he's lived on Raxter, the road has flooded and he's been trapped.  It's low enough for him to cross in his truck, but in 1996 early in the morning he says his wife didn't have such luck.

"Didn't realize the creek was up and down the creek she went," said Thomas.

When the road floods out, nine families on Raxter are trapped for as long as the water runs.

"This is the second day this has been running," said Thomas Wednesday morning.

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New high tech way to track your child

ROCK HILL, SC (WBTV)- If you're a parent you've probably taken your kids to the park, stopped to look down at your phone to update your Facebook status then looked up and for a split second your child has disappeared.

"A mother's worst night mare is when she's lost sight of her child," said Mellen Shugart.

Shugart is a pre-school teacher and has two young children of her own to look after.

"It would be nice to have something that we could give to our children or at least know where the vicinity of they are," said Shugart.

Amber Alert GPS has such a device.  The Amber Alert GPS is the smallest GPS tracker of its kind on the market.  The owner of the company came up with the idea for the tracker in 2007 after he lost his child for a short period of time.

Don't mind the rain as a dry summer is likely, officials say

YORK COUNTY, SC (WBTV)- ROCK HILL, SC (WBTV) - The sound of rain hitting the ground is music to Sam Halls's ears at the Bush-n-Vine farm in York.

Since Sunday the farm has received 2.1 inches of rain, which is good but in the farming business Hall says that won't last long.

"Always thankful for the rain," said Sam Hall. "I would say that would last for maybe the next month or so. We pump out of wells and ponds; we need them to be full so we can make it through the summer."

Rock Hill Assistant City Manager Jimmy Bagley went to a meeting today in Huntersville to talk about water and this summer.

"All the forecasts are indicating that the next 90 days are going to be dryer than normal," said Bagley.

He says The rain we've received in the last few days is far from a drought buster.

Heavy downpours continue through Monday, flash flooding could be a problem

Heavy downpours continue through Monday, flash flooding could be a problem

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV)- The walls of water continue to fall in and around the Charlotte region Monday.

Between 2 and 3 inches of rain fell across the foothills in the past 24 hours. The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg issued a Flood Advisory for Burke, Catawba, Cleveland and Lincoln counties until 11 a.m. Monday.

Several WBTV viewers sent in photos of flooding in their neighborhoods. Click on the slideshow to see them.

Heavy rains along the U.S. 321 and Interstate 77 were reported along with some lightning.

Watauga County is under a Flash Flood Watch through Tuesday morning, according to the NWS.

WBTV Meteorologist Al Conklin says anyone out and about Monday should watch out for localized flooding.

You should never try to drive your vehicle through a flooded area or roadway.

Monday's highs will be in the low to mid 70s.

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Two dead in overnight Lancaster shooting

LANCASTER, SC (WBTV)- Two people were fatally shot late Wednesday night in Lancaster, investigators say.

Deputies found the body of 39-year-old Stephen Lamont Westbrook, of Rock Hill, lying in the drive of a home on the 2300 block of Old Blackmon Lane, according to a press release from the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office.

Westbrook had been shot dead. Deputies found a handgun at the scene.

Deputies then went inside the home where they found 25-year-old Mardrickus Javon Belk in the living room floor suffering from a gunshot wound.

Belk was taken to an area hospital where he later died, Sheriff Barry Faile said.

Two different firearms were taken as well as a large quantity of illegal drugs, according to the release.

NASCAR Day is Friday, May 18th!

NASCAR Day is Friday, May 18th!

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Get your limited edition NASCAR Day lapel pin, show your support for NASCAR Day and help raise awareness of children in need.  Pins are $10 each (plus a small handling fee), measure 1-inch by 1-inch and feature a checkered flag design.  The NASCAR Foundation embodies the compassion of the NASCAR Family and its commitment to serving communities.  It seeks to raise funds and increase volunteerism to support nonprofit charities and charitable causes nation-wide, with an emphasis placed on initiatives that affect the ability of children to live, learn and play.  Click here to learn more about children and family initiatives supported by The NASCAR Foundation.  You can also enter for

A former textile mill transformed into training facility

LANCASTER, SC (WBTV)- The Springs Cotton Mill in Lancaster was at one time the largest Cotton factory in the world.  After 100 years the machines inside fell silent, inside the only building spared from the wrecking ball a city streetscape has been constructed.

"The county got a grant the city got a grant, we pooled our money together and this is what has come out of it so far," said Major Matt Shaw with the Lancaster County Sheriff's office.

Police, fire and medics use the building to train in, whenever they need it, when before to train in real world settings like a school would have to wait until school was out.

"We can come 24-7," said Shaw.

Houses, apartments, offices this streetscape is designed to simulate many different types of scenarios.

"Mock domestic calls, a mock traffic stops, building clearing for our regular deputies," said Shaw.