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Walker County vehicular homicide trial of college student begins

Walker County vehicular homicide trial of college student begins

LAFAYETTE, Ga. (WDEF) – A trial began Monday in Walker County for the 2021 death of a college student in a car crash. Eden Muina was only 20 years old when she tragically died in a car crash on her way back to school at Berry College in Rome. She was coming from her parent’s… ... Continue Reading

What’s Right With Our Schools: Brotherhood Brunch at Chatt State

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Men of any age can have hard time talking about their mental health, but there are people who will listen. That was the takeaway for students from Brainerd, Howard and Tyner at the 5th annual Brotherhood Brunch.

Let’s pay a visit to Chattanooga State for an important example of what’s right with our schools.

Ladarius Price is the President of the Lighthouse Collective.

He explains, “Today, we are focusing on Mental Health with our young men a lot of our young men uh because of the pandemic uh because of just life experiences uh and what’s going on with them they need to have an understanding uh about what mental health really entails.”

Price continues, “We have Briner High School Tyner High School and Howard High School for a lot of our young men they really don’t understand mental health for you know for me, as a 43 year-old grown man, I’m really just getting into learning about the importance of my mental health. uh and what it means to my you know for my overall health. So, we want to introduce this to some uh really lay a foundation for others and really help them to understand the importance of their mental health.”

Sammy Semster is a coach at Brainerd High.

He explains, “It affects us a lot um year and a half ago I had to go through I had cancer I had to go through chemotherapy um and also I was I was still coaching then but like just talking to somebody that done been through it was days that like I didn’t want to get up out the bed.”

Ladarius Price explains, “So, we have you know men that are coaches uh whether it be in the educational realm or athletic realm um and then we have you know uh leaders that uh from the city of Chattanooga uh Hamilton County government that will speak to their life experiences and what they’re going through because we’ve all been through things.”

Dr Kevin McKenzie from Brainerd High says, “My uh brother and my mother uh was sick so taking care of them when I was younger nobody ever knew about that uh my brother had AIDS and my mother was diagnosed with lupus. So going to school every day nobody ever knew about.”

Chris Sands is the Executive Director for Gun Violence and Community Development for the City of Chattanooga.

He explains, “We would talk you don’t you don’t let people in our business we sweep that under the rad you don’t you don’t let nobody know what’s going on. Another thing is our culture. Our culture says we don’t say nothing we don’t snitch that’s been the mindset.”

Ladarius Price adds, “When you internalize everything that you’re going through and you don’t unpack any of that stuff uh at some point in time you’re going to explode and you can explode in in various different ways and so we want to keep our young men from that happening to them uh and understand that it’s okay to sit down and talk to somebody and express yourself and what you’re going through and how you’re feeling we want to really just educate our people education is a powerful tool and it’s not just about math and science and English it’s about life experiences.”

Sammy Semster includes, “Like I tell most majority of my players like if you got something going on find somebody that  you can talk to somebody, you comfortable with somebody, that you can that can relate to you and talk to talk to somebody about it like he said like if you just if you let it just sit in eventually it’s going to explode.”

 

Categories: Chattanooga, Education, Featured, Hamilton County, Local News, What’s Right With Our Schools
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See rescheduled dates for Chattanooga’s MLK Day of Service

See rescheduled dates for Chattanooga’s MLK Day of Service

UPDATE:

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — The City of Chattanooga has rescheduled the Martin Luther King Day of Service. It was previously postponed due to winter weather conditions.

The new dates will be April 4-6, 2024. It will begin at 8 a.m. at the Maclellan Gym. Projects will then take place from 9 a.m. until noon. Mlk Service Day New

This is the 12th annual MLK Day of Service, organized by the city and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The event is dedicated to remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and legacy by serving the community.

Sign up to volunteer or register a service project here. Those who filled out the forms for the January event will not need to register again.

The city said it will send out a full schedule of events at a later date.

In the past, the MLK Day of Service has featured neighborhood cleanups, flower- and tree-planting, and school improvements.

This year, the event will focus on celebrating public works employees, “for whom Dr. King was advocating in Memphis when he was assassinated on April 4, 1968,” city officials explained.

Roshonda Woods, Chattanooga’s first female and first African American solid waste manager, will present a special address.

“Government is and should be the problem solver of last resort. Initiatives outside of City Hall often leave our community in a better place than the ones written in policy or code,” said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. “I’m thrilled that our city’s dedication to carrying on Dr. King’s legacy won’t be deterred by the winter weather that disrupted the event back in January – because Dr. King’s determination to serve and advocate for the public wouldn’t have been either.”


SEE PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

Chattanooga seeking volunteers for MLK Day of Service

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — The City of Chattanooga is seeking volunteers in their 12th annual MLK Day of Service, taking place on January 15.

The MLK Day of Service is a day dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life.

It will take place at 8 a.m. at the Maclellan Gym.

Service projects will begin at 9 a.m., followed by the MLK Day Parade, which will begin at 12:30 p.m.

Volunteers can also meet in Miller Park after the Day of Service event to participate in the walking parade. It will end at Olivet Baptist Church.

Register to partake in service projects and sign up to volunteer for the event here.

“Government is and should be the problem solver of last resort. Initiatives outside of City Hall often leave our community in a better place than the ones written in policy or code,” said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. “If our interest is to live as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lived, then we should extend this day far beyond a single day or event, and instead make every day a day of service.”

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is helping coordinate this event as well.

In the past, the event has involved cleaning up neighborhoods, planting trees and flowers, and improving schools.

“While Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a day off for many of us, this initiative is meant to transform it into a day on – giving back to the community in the spirit of Dr. King’s legacy,” said Chief Equity Officer Tony Sammons. “Thanks to UTC, Unity Group of Chattanooga, and all of our wonderful partners who have already committed to continuing to burn Dr. King’s light brightly a generation after his death.”

Categories: Chattanooga, Events, Featured, Local News
... Continue Reading
HCSO: Man arrested after running from law enforcement twice

HCSO: Man arrested after running from law enforcement twice

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) deputies arrested a man early Monday morning for running from law enforcement twice in one night.

The HCSO said a 2013 white Dodge Durango evaded Rossville Police officers at around 1:30 a.m. on March 18.

Printice Barnett

Then, at around 2 a.m., a Hamilton County deputy saw the Dodge driving north on Dayton Boulevard. The deputy tried to pull over the suspect, who refused to stop, according to HCSO.

The sheriff’s office said deputies pursued the suspect on several roads. The car finally stopped on Chamberlain Avenue, and deputies took the driver into custody.

HCSO identified the suspect driver as Printice Barnett, 36, and booked him on several charges.

Those charges include:

  • Fugitive from Justice
  • Felony Evading Arrest
  • Simple Possession
  • Reckless Driving
  • Traffic Control Device
  • Driving of Revoked Driver’s License

The HCSO said the Rossville Police Department is filing charges against Barnett as well. 

Categories: Featured, Hamilton County, Local News, Walker County
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Man faces numerous charges after Highway 58 high-speed chase

Man faces numerous charges after Highway 58 high-speed chase

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — A man now faces numerous charges after running from Hamilton County deputies early Monday morning.

The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy was patrolling the North Hickory Valley Road and Highway 58 area due to a recent uptick in auto thefts and vehicle burglaries.

Thomas Claxton

At 3:30 a.m., the deputy saw a silver Mercury car sitting in a Mapco gas station parking lot on North Hickory Valley Road. According to HCSO, the deputy recognized the vehicle as being seen in an area known for criminal and narcotic-related activity.

Along Highway 58, the deputy then attempted a traffic stop on the Mercury for not having a working tag light. However, the driver did not stop, and a high-speed pursuit began.

The sheriff’s office said the suspect driver eventually lost control and crashed into a residential garage on Lockington Lane. The driver refused to exit the garage, HCSO said.

Deputies evacuated the homeowner out of the house for their safety. The HCSO said they then searched the home and found the suspect hiding in a storage closet in the garage.

The sheriff’s office identified the suspect as Thomas Claxton, 28, and booked him into the Hamilton County Jail.

He faces the following charges.

  • Improper Display of Registration
  • Felony Evading Arrest
  • Felony Reckless Endangerment
  • Speeding
  • Stop Sign Violation (x2)
  • Aggravated Kidnapping (x2)
  • Aggravated Burglary
  • Driving Under the Influence
  • Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

 

Categories: Crime, Featured, Hamilton County, Local News
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UAW: VW Chattanooga workers file petition to vote on joining union

UPDATE: Volkswagen has given an official statement on the possibility of the Chattanooga plant joining the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. Read the statement here: “This morning, we received notice that the UAW has filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to hold an election to determine representation of Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant. We… ... Continue Reading

Alabama truck driver goes missing in Monteagle

MONTEAGLE, Tenn. (WDEF) — An Alabama man has gone missing and was last seen in Monteagle, Tennessee. The Marion County Sheriff’s Department shared a post to social media urging the public to reach out to authorities if they have any information on the missing man. Jalen Allen, 27, is from Pell City, Alabama. Friends and… ... Continue Reading
PEDESTRIAN STRUCK ON THE 7 THOUSAND BLOCK OF DAYTON PIKE

PEDESTRIAN STRUCK ON THE 7 THOUSAND BLOCK OF DAYTON PIKE

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- The preliminary investigation reveals a vehicle was being driven northbound on Dayton Pike when the pedestrian walked into the roadway The woman was struck and the driver continued driving. The vehicle discovered is a Toyota Tundra and the drover was found to be a 63 year old man No charges have been… ... Continue Reading

UAW: Volkswagen Chattanooga workers file petition to vote on joining the union

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The United Auto Workers (UAW) said that Volkswagen Chattanooga employees filed a petition on Monday to join the union. It would be the third vote to unionize the Chattanooga plant. The previous two failed. The union says a supermajority of the workers have signed union cards in just 100 days. VW Chattanooga… ... Continue Reading

16-year-old shot in Brainerd early Saturday morning

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — A 16-year-old male was shot in the Brainerd area over the weekend. CPD responded to the incident on Saturday at 3:00 a.m. When officers arrived, they found a 16-year-old male with non-life-threatening injuries. CFD and HCEMS responded to the scene. The juvenile was transported to a local hospital. Preliminary reports indicate… ... Continue Reading
58-year-old woman struck on Dayton Pike

58-year-old woman struck on Dayton Pike

Credit: MGN CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Just after midnight on Sunday, Chattanooga Police responded to a pedestrian struck on the 7000 block of Dayton Pike. Upon arrival, officers found a 58-year-old woman that died at the scene. The Chattanooga Police Department Traffic Unit is investigating the incident. According to the preliminary investigation, a vehicle was… ... Continue Reading
Weather Update: Monday – March 18, 2024

Weather Update: Monday – March 18, 2024

Monday: Mostly sunny. Windy and much colder. Highs: lower 50’s. Winds: NW 10-20 mph, G25 mph.

Overnight: Clear. Very cold. Lows: upper 20’s. Winds: NW 5-10 mph…becoming calm toward daybreak.

Tuesday: Sunny. A little warmer. Highs: upper 50’s. Winds: SW 5-10 mph.

Overnight: Clear. Not as cold. Lows: upper 30’s. Winds: SW 5-10 mph…becoming Light and Variable after midnight.

Wednesday: Sunny. Mild. Highs: near 70. Winds: SW 5-10 mph…becoming NW around 10 mph by late afternoon.

Overnight: Partly cloudy. Cool. Lows: lower 40’s. Winds: N 5-10 mph.

Slot1

Slot0

Cold weather enthusiasts will enjoy today as a highly amplified upper level trough builds southeast out of north central Canada through the eastern half of the nation. Much colder air will build south all the way to the Gulf and Atlantic coast in association with this well developed upper trough. Strong, cold air advection will limit high temperatures to the lower 50’s this afternoon. These high temperatures will be about 15 degrees below typical high temperatures for March 18th. However, it will feel even colder due to the strong northwesterly flow that develops in the tight pressure gradient between the massive middle America surface high and a trough of lower pressure over the western Atlantic. Windspeed will be between 10 and 20 mph with gusts around 25 mph through the day. That air temperature and wind combination will make our afternoon highs feel more like the middle 40’s!

March is always a challenging month because we typically experience significant extremes in temperature as the winter season tries to hang around despite the ever increasing northward transport of much warmer, tropical air with each spring storm system; speaking of Spring, the Vernal Equinox occurs this Tuesday at 11:06 pm EDT. While cold weather fans will be pleased with a winter-like chill today, warm weather fans will be ready for our gradual warming trend which begins on Tuesday. The day will begin with very cold temperatures as lows drop to the middle and upper 20’s in a clear sky and light wind environment. This freeze will likely impact vegetation that has already bloomed across the region because temperatures will be below freezing for several hours during the late night hours through daybreak Tuesday. The clear skies will allow for nearly full sunshine on Tuesday. In addition to nearly 12 hours of insolation, the wind shift to the southwest during the day, will help temperatures rise approximately thirty degrees by late afternoon. Highs will top out in the middle and upper 50’s on Tuesday; our final day of Winter, 2024.

The warming trend continues on Wednesday, the first full day of Spring. A warm southwesterly flow, along with mostly sunny skies, will boost afternoon highs to the upper 60’s. The warmer air will push in just ahead of another cold front, due in the area Wednesday night. No need to worry warm weather fans! This front will be very weak with little in the way of significantly colder air behind the boundary, and the front will only produce a “glancing blow” as the upper level steering currents will quickly shift to a southwest component ahead of the next storm system. That system will bring us an increase in high clouds on Thursday, but those cirrus clouds should not inhibit warming to any significant degree, which will allow afternoon highs to max out in the upper 60’s, once again.

Skies will become mostly cloudy on Friday, in association with an upper level trough that will be making its way east from the Lower Mississippi Valley late Thursday night to the southern Appalachians by Friday evening. Model solutions produce stronger lift and thus, heavier precipitation in the form of showers and thunderstorms well south, closer to the Gulf and eventually Southeast Atlantic Coast. The WDEF viewing area will experience much lighter rainfall on Friday, in the weaker area of lift north of the eastward moving, low pressure system.  The good news is that model solutions move this low pressure system steadily east of the area later Friday night into Saturday with a return to dry and mild weather over the weekend. Despite the development of a northerly low level flow behind our Friday system, strengthening late March sunshine should help boost afternoon maximum temperatures to the middle and upper 60’s on Saturday.

Sunday should be even warmer, as southerly winds develop ahead of a strengthening low pressure system across the central and southern Plains. Highs may reach the lower 70’s on Sunday afternoon. Model depictions concerning next week’s weather have not converged on a common solution for the strengthening Plains storm system as it shifts east through the Mississippi Valley. However, it appears that there will be a wet period during the middle of the week. Showers and thunderstorms will be possible during this time frame, which will extend from around Tuesday, March 26th through Thursday, March 28th.

Slot2
Slot3
The Climate Prediction Center 8-14 Day Outlook for Tuesday, March 26th – Monday, April 1st, features below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation during this period.

Screenshot 2024 03 15 222701

National Drought Summary for March 12, 2024

Summary

Moderate to heavy rain amounts fell across parts of the Southeast and Northeast this week, leading to localized improvements to ongoing drought and abnormal dryness in the Southeast, and mostly unchanged conditions in the Northeast, aside from western New York, which missed out on the heavier precipitation and saw minor degradations. The central third of the contiguous U.S. saw a mix of improvements and degradations, based on where heavier precipitation did or did not fall and where dry and windy conditions continued. Parts of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, the Michigan Lower Peninsula, southern Missouri and southeast Kansas saw improving conditions after heavier rains fell there. Meanwhile, moderate drought expanded in northwest Missouri and portions of west-central Wisconsin, Minnesota, northwest Iowa, the far southern Michigan Upper Peninsula and far northeast Wisconsin. Much of Texas remained the same, with a few degradations in the southeast corner and several degradations in central and southern Texas where long-term drought conditions are still causing impacts. Recent dryness and warm and windy weather in northwest Oklahoma and the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles led to abnormal dryness developing there. Short-term dryness and high evaporative demand led to large areas of degrading conditions in northeast Wyoming, while west-central Wyoming, north-central Colorado, northeast Utah, western Montana, and the northern Idaho Panhandle all saw areas of improvement due to lower evaporative demand and improving snowpack recently. In Hawaii, an active trade wind pattern continued, leading to some improvements on the windward (northeast) slopes of the Big Island and Kauai, while a small area of moderate drought developed on the leeward (southwest) portion of Kauai. In Puerto Rico, a few improvements were made where recent rainfall has improved streamflows and crop stress, and lessened rainfall deficits and raised reservoir levels. No changes were made to the Drought Monitor this week in Alaska.

– NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information

https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu


Screenshot 2024 01 02 182324

Got #weatherpix to share for our @WestShoreHome #WeatherWindow #PictureOfTheDay? E-mail them to [email protected].

Make sure you & your family stay in touch with us. Remember the Storm Team 12 app can always bring you the latest weather alerts for your location as well as Titan Radar. Download it for free from your app store – just search WDEF Weather”.

Screenshot 2023 12 13 234441

The best time to prepare for severe weather is when nothing weather-wise is going on.  Learn more about programming your weather alert radio with WDEF-TV News 12.


Screenshot 2024 03 06 191217

We’re looking for weather observers! Plus, signing up for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) during the month of March goes towards a good cause! Each March, CoCoRaHS has a competition to see which state can recruit the most new observers. This year, the competition is known as Precipitation Absurdity. But you know what’s really absurd? TN has NEVER won! Let’s change that. ” – NWS Morristown

https://cocorahs.org/?fbclid=IwAR3c7d4L1DGyCog-sOySVEda_624_55EYE51amJtv-_qqNzOvGrF_ZiLxGc


Screenshot 2024 01 26 213410

IF YOU’D LIKE A WDEF NEWS 12 METEOROLOGIST TO VISIT WITH YOUR SCHOOL, PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW.


Screenshot 2024 03 04 190710

NWS Nashville debuting the latest topics for their #Weather101 #weathereducation program in March 2024. “Weather101 is a series of FREE interactive online classes to help the public learn about meteorology, forecasting and the National Weather Service in general. These classes will explore the concepts formally found in what was our Advanced SKYWARN spotter classes, plus MORE!”

https://www.weather.gov/ohx/weather101
Categories: Featured, Local News, Weather Update
... Continue Reading

Reptile Expo comes to East Ridge

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Sunday at the East Ridge Community Center, a reptile expo full of scaley creatures like snakes, lizards and even spiders were in attendance. “We try to bring a little bit of diversity for the people to have some options as far as other vendors here at the show. We got Ball… ... Continue Reading

Hamilton County Democratic Party Event for Presidential Convention

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Democratic Party is looking to get a leg up on the Republican Party in the upcoming elections, and the democrats of Hamilton County want to ensure that they are sending their best to represent the party.

“The people that are here today will go to a convention for the Congressional District 3 in April as delegates, and those delegates will go to Chicago and elect Joe Biden to be a nominee for next president,” said Chair of Hamilton County Democratic Party, Rachel Campbell.

The Democratic Party of Hamilton County is wanting to hear feedback from the citizens and what future plans need to be addressed to either change or improve.

“I think what they want is our democracy to be protected. I think everyone in this room has a vested interest in democracy being at the top of the conversation, whether it’s at the presidential level or the steakhouse, we need democracy to be protected. Women’s reproductive healthcare is on the line of voter suppression,” said Campbell.

Representatives Yusuf Hakeem will be selector on April 6, and there are others that are running to be delegates for the congressional district convention on April 6.

Categories: Featured, Government & Politics, Local News
... Continue Reading
Weather Update: Sunday – March 17, 2024

Weather Update: Sunday – March 17, 2024

WDEF-TV News 12 Weather Forecast Sunday: Morning sprinkles. Otherwise Mostly cloudy. Cooler. Highs: mid 60’s. Winds: W 5-10 mph. Overnight: Gradual clearing. Cold. Lows: low upper 30’s. Winds: N 5-10 mph. Monday: Mostly sunny. Windy and much colder. Highs: around 50. Winds: NW 10-20 mph, G25 mph. Overnight: Clear. Very cold. Lows: upper 20’s. Winds:… ... Continue Reading
Murphy Music and Brews event to raise funds for injured veterans

Murphy Music and Brews event to raise funds for injured veterans

MURPHY, N.C. (WDEF) — Murphy Music and Brews is coming to Murphy, North Carolina next month.

Taking place on Saturday, April 13, Murphy Music and Brews is a charity event with all proceeds going to Shepherd’s Men.

Shepherd’s Men is dedicated to helping U.S. veterans who were injured in war. It will do so through their SHARE Military Initiative, a rehabilitation program for veterans suffering with traumatic brain injuries and mental health issues. The SHARE program is located at Shepherd Men’s Atlanta location.  Sm 2024 Murphy Music And Brews Flier

According to Shepherd’s Men, “its members are active, medically retired and honorably discharged servicemen and civilian patriots committed to helping those veterans who have sacrificed so much for this country and for everyone who enjoys the freedoms they volunteered to protect.”

Murphy Music and Brews will donate all ticket sales to Shepherd’s Men. In addition, a portion of all vendor sales will go to their cause as well.

The event will take place on Tennessee Street in downtown Murphy.

It will feature live music, craft beer and wine, and unique food trucks, according to the organizers.

There will be live performances from War Hippies, Kevn Kinney, Cracker, and Chuck Mead.

Those interested can purchase tickets here.

“Whether you’ve given in the past or, if you’re new to our work, it is our hope you will join with us to raise the valuable resources required to sustain the SHARE Military Initiative at the Shepherd Center while advocating for our nation’s heroes,” said Travis Ellis, co-founder of Shepherd’s Men. “We will not rest until veteran suicide is stricken from the community. Our veterans and their families deserve to live fulfilling, meaningful lives after their noble and courageous service to this nation.”

Categories: Cherokee County, Featured, Local News
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New Chattanooga beer code proposal approved

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Mayor Tim Kelly’s proposal to restructure the Beer and Wrecker Board has been approved.  And the expected changes are dynamic. “We really worked for about the last three years, coming up with a newer system to do it, and I think it is going to be streamlined and there will not… ... Continue Reading
Weather Update: Saturday – March 16, 2024

Weather Update: Saturday – March 16, 2024

Overnight: Mostly cloudy. Showers/Thunderstorms. Lows: mid 50’s. Winds: SW veering NW at 5-10 MPH.

Saturday: Mostly sunny. Mild. Highs: low 70’s. Winds: N veering W @ 5 MPH.

Overnight: A Few Clouds. Mild. Lows: low 50’s. Winds: W @ 5 MPH.

Sunday: Stray showers. Mostly cloudy. Cooler. Highs: mid 60’s. Winds: W @ 5-10 MPH.

Slot0
Slot1
The Climate Prediction Center 8-14 Day Outlook for Monday, March 18th – Sunday, March 24th, features below normal temperatures and below normal precipitation during this period.

Screenshot 2024 03 15 222701

National Drought Summary for March 12, 2024

Summary

Moderate to heavy rain amounts fell across parts of the Southeast and Northeast this week, leading to localized improvements to ongoing drought and abnormal dryness in the Southeast, and mostly unchanged conditions in the Northeast, aside from western New York, which missed out on the heavier precipitation and saw minor degradations. The central third of the contiguous U.S. saw a mix of improvements and degradations, based on where heavier precipitation did or did not fall and where dry and windy conditions continued. Parts of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, the Michigan Lower Peninsula, southern Missouri and southeast Kansas saw improving conditions after heavier rains fell there. Meanwhile, moderate drought expanded in northwest Missouri and portions of west-central Wisconsin, Minnesota, northwest Iowa, the far southern Michigan Upper Peninsula and far northeast Wisconsin. Much of Texas remained the same, with a few degradations in the southeast corner and several degradations in central and southern Texas where long-term drought conditions are still causing impacts. Recent dryness and warm and windy weather in northwest Oklahoma and the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles led to abnormal dryness developing there. Short-term dryness and high evaporative demand led to large areas of degrading conditions in northeast Wyoming, while west-central Wyoming, north-central Colorado, northeast Utah, western Montana, and the northern Idaho Panhandle all saw areas of improvement due to lower evaporative demand and improving snowpack recently. In Hawaii, an active trade wind pattern continued, leading to some improvements on the windward (northeast) slopes of the Big Island and Kauai, while a small area of moderate drought developed on the leeward (southwest) portion of Kauai. In Puerto Rico, a few improvements were made where recent rainfall has improved streamflows and crop stress, and lessened rainfall deficits and raised reservoir levels. No changes were made to the Drought Monitor this week in Alaska.

– NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information

https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu


Screenshot 2024 01 02 182324

Got #weatherpix to share for our @WestShoreHome #WeatherWindow #PictureOfTheDay? E-mail them to [email protected].

Make sure you & your family stay in touch with us. Remember the Storm Team 12 app can always bring you the latest weather alerts for your location as well as Titan Radar. Download it for free from your app store – just search WDEF Weather”.

Screenshot 2023 12 13 234441

The best time to prepare for severe weather is when nothing weather-wise is going on.  Learn more about programming your weather alert radio with WDEF-TV News 12.


Screenshot 2024 03 06 191217

We’re looking for weather observers! Plus, signing up for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) during the month of March goes towards a good cause! Each March, CoCoRaHS has a competition to see which state can recruit the most new observers. This year, the competition is known as Precipitation Absurdity. But you know what’s really absurd? TN has NEVER won! Let’s change that. ” – NWS Morristown

https://cocorahs.org/?fbclid=IwAR3c7d4L1DGyCog-sOySVEda_624_55EYE51amJtv-_qqNzOvGrF_ZiLxGc


Screenshot 2024 01 26 213410

IF YOU’D LIKE A WDEF NEWS 12 METEOROLOGIST TO VISIT WITH YOUR SCHOOL, PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW.


Screenshot 2024 03 04 190710

NWS Nashville debuting the latest topics for their #Weather101 #weathereducation program in March 2024. “Weather101 is a series of FREE interactive online classes to help the public learn about meteorology, forecasting and the National Weather Service in general. These classes will explore the concepts formally found in what was our Advanced SKYWARN spotter classes, plus MORE!”

https://www.weather.gov/ohx/weather101
Categories: Featured, Local News, Weather Update
... Continue Reading
4 Chattanooga officers testify on beginning of Jason Chen investigation

4 Chattanooga officers testify on beginning of Jason Chen investigation

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – New police body cam footage in the Jason Chen murder case was shown in a Hamilton County court room Friday. Today’s hearing focused on police involvement in the initial investigation into Jasmine Pace’s disappearance as Jason Chen’s defense continued their argument that evidence in this case was illegally obtained. We got… ... Continue Reading
Four Chattanooga Police officers testify on beginning of Jason Chen investigation

Four Chattanooga Police officers testify on beginning of Jason Chen investigation

Photo Mar 15 2024 11 25 25 Am

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- New police body cam footage in the Jason Chen murder case was shown in a Hamilton County court room Friday.

Today’s hearing focused on police involvement in the initial investigation into Jasmine Pace’s disappearance as Jason Chen’s defense continued their argument that evidence in this case was illegally obtained.

We got to see the initial interactions between police officers and the Pace family as they were desperately searching for their daughter.

Four different Chattanooga police officers testified that the Pace family had trespassed into Jason Chen’s apartment in their search for Jasmine Pace.

Over two hours of police body cams were presented that showed various conversations at an apartment complex on Mountain View Road, where the family had located Jasmine Pace’s vehicle.

The majority though was at the apartment complex at 110 Tremont Street, where Jason Chen lived.

At the previous hearing last month, Pace family members testified they had used data from Jasmine’s phone and car to track down the location of Chen’s apartment.

When they got there, at the time, Jasmine Pace’s mother Catrina Pace testified that she had lied to police that Chen’s door was unlocked because of her desperate search for her daughter.

Footage from the early morning hours of November 27, 2022 shows at least two police officers entering the apartment, both testifying they did so without a search warrant.

One officer told the Pace family in the hallway outside of Jason Chen’s apartment, “We legally can’t investigate anything that you found.”

Chen’s defense attorney Joshua Weiss asked one of the Chattanooga Police officers, Mike Creighton, who were there inside of Chen’s apartment, “You were in that apartment for about three minutes, and you were looking for people.”

Officer Creighton said, “Yes.”

Weiss said, “You found no people.”

Officer Creighton said, “Yes.”

Weiss asked, “But after not finding any people you continued to make observations.”

Officer Creighton said, “Yes.”

Officers also testified that there was a lack of direction with how to handle to investigation, as one officer said there were staffing issues at the time.

Weiss asked, “You’re saying the lead detective and Detective Crawford never came to speak with you about it?”

Officer Matthew Braisted said, “No.”

Weiss said, “You’re saying investigator Seitch came to speak with you about it?”

Officer Braisted said, “No.”

Weiss said, “Did you get any information to help draft a search warrant? Did you anticipate them drafting a search warrant?”

Officer Braisted said, “No.”

Officers also testified that they gave no citations for trespassing or told the Pace family to leave, as they were focused on comforting the family as they were looking for their daughter.

We also saw a conversation between one officer and a next door neighbor to Jason Chen.

That neighbor told officers, “Tuesday night, early in the morning, we were sitting on the couch right there and we heard a concerning noise, but we thought it was like a normal party going.”

The body cam footage also showed officers talking to the family about what they had found so far.

That officer told the Pace family in the hallway, “I just want to give you a big net of suggestions. Keep this thing going, and the more information you can get, trickle it down to us.”

Another Chattanooga officer, McKenzie Pierre, testified that all he could do when he responded to the Mountain View apartment scene that he could only put Jasmine Pace on the National Missing Persons list, and that the missing persons investigator on call was unavailable that night.

In that conversation, Catrina Pace said that she had been told by Jason Chen that her daughter was going to South Carolina with another friend, but that friend said it was a lie.

In a conversation right outside of Chen’s apartment, Pace’s sister, Gabriella, told officers that she was not sure of the status of Pace and Chen’s relationship, but Jasmine had told her she had known him for about nine months.

The hearing concluded with no decision.

The defense has more witnesses they would like to call at their next hearing in May.

They believe this matter will conclude on May 10 on whether or not to quash this evidence.

Additionally, a preliminary trial date has been set for September 16, as a grand jury will be brought in from Nashville.

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