By JIM LANGHAM

Feature Writer

PAYNE – Payne firefighters Louis Wannemacher and Joe Thome cooked hamburgers during the week to feed those in the community who needed assistance with meals. Community residents and members of the department brought food into the fire station and made it available to those in the community who had a difficult time preparing their meals due to the lack of electricity and issues with the heat.

The department, under the management of Fire Chief Jamie Mansfield, opened the station Friday shortly after the storm and has maintained a 24-hour, around-the-clock watch on the community since then.

Firefighters have taken turns maintaining personal availability to the community since the severe storm struck on Friday afternoon.