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At least 2 men shot on Arlington Avenue, police say
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – At least two people were shot on Arlington Avenue Wednesday afternoon.
Chattanooga police officers arrived at the scene around 5:30 p.m. and found two men with life-threatening injuries.
First responders then began life-saving measures on the two men and then took them to a hospital.
Police said the suspect(s) fled the scene before their arrival.
A third person also arrived at a local hospital in their own personal vehicle later that day. He also had a gunshot wound, but his injuries were not life-threatening. Officers are trying to determine if that person was shot on Arlington Avenue as well.
Police said their investigation is ongoing. The CPD Homicide Unit is investigating as well.
Anyone with information on this incident should contact Chattanooga Police at 423-698-2525.
Commissioner says comptroller investigated satellite office
Increase reported in 2023 Chattanooga overdose deaths
CHATTTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Hamilton County Drug Recovery Court presented updated statistics on Wednesday showing the extent of the local drug crisis.
During a presentation, the court said in 2023, there were 162 overdose deaths in Chattanooga.
To put into perspective, if Chattanooga were a state, it would have the second highest per capita death rate per 100,000 residents in the country, behind West Virginia.
Tennessee currently holds that second spot.
The drug recovery court works with those who were charged with crimes and have a substance use disorder in Hamilton County.
Despite the overall trend, the court said it is encouraged with a 90% graduation rate of those who participate in their program.
“We increased our census dramatically in 2023. We were at one point up to 90 participants in the program. When I first started, we had a little under 30, so that’s a huge increase. We have had five drug free babies,” Hamilton County Drug Recovery Court Director Shannon Morgan said.
Hamilton County Judges Alex McVeagh and Amanda Dunn currently preside over this program on a weekly basis in their courtrooms.
... Continue ReadingHixson High School starts new EMS program
Vacation rental committee to be held next week
HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) – A resolution about vacation rentals will be discussed next week at Hamilton County Commission.
It will be discussed in a committee session after next week’s regular meeting on Wednesday, May 8.
This resolution, proposed by Commissioner Gene-O Shipley, would ban vacation rentals in neighborhoods across the county, if passed.
It has faced significant opposition from other commissioners and the public.
... Continue Reading
Explosions reported in house fire near Montlake Golf Course
HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — Hamilton County authorities have reported a house fire near the Montlake Golf Course in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee.
According to the Office of Emergency Management, the fire is located at 1022 Bunker Ridge Trail.
There have also been reports of explosions coming from the fire.
They ask everyone to avoid the area if possible.
A News 12 employee reported seeing smoke from Highway 27 in Red Bank.
We are working to learn more about this incident and will provide updates.
Weather Update: Thursday – May 2, 2024
Weather Update: Wednesday – May 1st, 2024
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Overnight: Mostly clear. Cool. Lows: near 60. Winds: NE around 5 mph, becoming calm.
Thursday: Sunny. Even warmer. Highs: upper 80’s. Winds: NE around 5 mph, becoming S 5-10 mph during the afternoon.
Overnight: Partly cloudy. Mild. Lows: mid 60’s. Winds: S around 5 mph.
Friday: Partly sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Not as warm. Highs: lower 80’s. Winds: S 10-15 mph.
Overnight: Cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mild. Lows: mid 60’s. Winds: S 5-10 mph.
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The News 12 viewing area finally picked up some relatively decent rainfall early Tuesday morning, with amounts ranging from around a quarter of an inch in the Tennessee Valley, to around 1 to 2 inches on the Cumberland Plateau and across the southern Appalachian mountains. Now that the rain is over, the story shifts to the expected early May mini-heatwave. Computer model guidance indicates that both high and low temperatures will be a good five to ten degrees above normal throughout much of the next several days, as the dominant flow remains southerly, with a brief period of weak northerly, low level flow Wednesday through the morning hours on Thursday. We will have another opportunity for rain at the end of the week. Showers and thunderstorms are modeled to develop over the area Friday and Saturday, ahead of a slow moving, frontal system with help from a couple upper level waves of low pressure. The frontal boundary will push south to near the Coastal Plain in Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia on Sunday, giving us a brief break in the more widespread pattern of showers and thunderstorms. However, the front will return north with the approach of another upper level trough Sunday night into Monday. The chance for showers and thunderstorms will increase again during this period early next week, as the upper feature shifts east. Following the passage of this third lifting mechanism, we may be able to enjoy a break in the action on Tuesday, as we await yet another upper wave and surface frontal system during the middle of next week. I should emphasize that our weekend period will not be a washout. These weather systems will be progressive, so each feature will bring a few showers and thunderstorms to the area for a period of two or three hours and then, continue east toward the Eastern Seaboard. This period looks similar to what we typically see during the Summer months, when thunderstorms develop in scattered fashion, with slightly greater coverage and intensity during the peak heating of the afternoon, followed by dissipation during the mid to late evening hours, when the surface begins to cool.
Stay tuned to our forecasts throughout the rest of the week, to keep track of any strength or timing changes to our weekend thunderstorm development. We are still not in any significant trouble in terms of annual precipitation. Our annual deficit is around two and a quarter inches after our early week rainfall, but evaporation rates continue to rise as we move further into the warm season. Hopefully we will pick some more rainfall during the “unsettled weekend period” which features a stalled frontal boundary near the WDEF viewing area.
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National Drought Summary for April 25, 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
Got #weatherpix to share for our @WestShoreHome #WeatherWindow #PictureOfTheDay? E-mail them to [email protected].
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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”.
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.
Who can participate?
This is a community project. Everyone can help, young, old, and in-between. The only requirements are an enthusiasm for watching and reporting weather conditions and a desire to learn more about how weather can affect and impact our lives.
What will our volunteer observers be doing?
Each time a rain, hail or snow storm crosses your area, volunteers take measurements of precipitation from as many locations as possible (see equipment). These precipitation reports are then recorded on our Web site www.cocorahs.org. The data are then displayed and organized for many of our end users to analyze and apply to daily situations ranging from water resource analysis and severe storm warnings to neighbors comparing how much rain fell in their backyards.
Who uses CoCoRaHS?
CoCoRaHS is used by a wide variety of organizations and individuals. The National Weather Service, other meteorologists, hydrologists, emergency managers, city utilities (water supply, water conservation, storm water), insurance adjusters, USDA, engineers, mosquito control, ranchers and farmers, outdoor & recreation interests, teachers, students, and neighbors in the community are just some examples of those who visit our Web site and use our data.
https://cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=application
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Spring events around the Chattanooga area
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — From carnivals and barbecues to spring markets, there is plenty going on the next few months around the scenic city. With spring and warm temperatures finally here, many people are ready to get out and enjoy it.
Sometimes though, it’s hard to keep up with all that is going on.
So, here is a list of upcoming spring events in and around the Chattanooga area.
May
May 4 – Running of the Chihuahuas at First Horizon Pavilion beginning at noon.
May 4 – Spring City Blooms Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Front St. in Spring City, TN.
May 4 – Memories of Mayberry in Valley Head, Alabama from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
May 4 – Red Bank Jubilee at 3817 Redding Rd. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
May 4 – Louder Together Music Festival from 2 to 10 p.m. at Burr Performing Arts Park in Dalton, GA.
May 4-5 – Chattanooga Taco Festival at Camp Jordan in East Ridge. Event times vary by day.
May 5 – Strawberry Festival at the Chattanooga Market, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1801 Reggie White Blvd. in Chattanooga.
May 6-11 – Strawberry Festival in downtown Dayton, Tennessee. There are different events each day.
May 9-19 – Thrillville Fair at Camp Jordan Park in East Ridge, TN. Event times vary by day.
May 11 – Dolly Days in Ringgold from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
May 11 – Big Pig Festival from 11:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the First Horizon Pavilion in Chattanooga.
May 11 – Mountain Laurel Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Pisgah Civitan Park, 650 County Road 374.
May 11 – Murphy Spring Festival from noon to 8 p.m. at 75 Tennessee Street, Murphy, NC.
May 13-19 – Chattanooga Pizza Week 2024.
May 17 – Food Truck Friday in Red Bank from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 3817 Redding Road.
May 18 – Down Home Days in downtown Chickamauga from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m.
May 18 – Spirits in the Wild for 21+ at the Chattanooga Zoo from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
May 24 – Nightfall in Chattanooga happens each Friday until August 30, starting at 7 p.m. Located at Miller Park and Miller Plaza.
May 24-25 – 1890 Days in Downtown Ringgold, GA. Event times vary by day.
We will continue updating this list as we find more events.
Motorcyclist dies in crash at Bates, Alabama Road intersection
APISON, Tenn. (WDEF) — A motorcyclist died in a crash at the intersection of Bates and Alabama Roads in Hamilton County on Tuesday.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash around 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday.
They said the motorcycle rider was unresponsive. The person was then pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Authorities have not identified the victim yet.
But HCSO said the motorcyclist was driving east on Bates Road and lost control of the motorcycle while approaching Alabama Road. They said the rider then left the road for unknown reasons and hit a wooden fence.
News 12 spoke with a local resident who said speeding is a major issue in the area. He also said someone has crashed into his fence in the past.
The speed limit on Bates Road is just 35 miles per hour, and it is 40 miles per hour on Alabama Road. However, there are two curves on Alabama Road near this intersection where the speed limit drops to 25 and 30 miles per hour.
Bryan College reopens after potential bomb threat Wednesday
Bryan College closes Wednesday after potential bomb threat
Man arrested in connection with wreck that killed 2 Cleveland students
MCMINN COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — One man has been arrested in connection to a wreck that killed two Cleveland High School students over the weekend.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol arrested Jaylen Wesley-Cook on Monday.
An arrest report from the McMinn County Sheriff’s Office shows he was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide.
He was also charged with reckless endangerment, aggravated assault with great bodily harm and simple possession.
He is currently being held on a $208,000 bond.
We are working to learn more about what exactly happened in this case.
Dalton Public Schools gets a new superintendent
DALTON, Ga. (WDEF) – Dalton Public Schools welcomed its new superintendent on Tuesday.
The Dalton Board of Education unanimously approved Dr. Steven Craft contract at Tuesday’s board meeting.
Dr. Steven Craft will succeed Dr. Tim Scott who is retiring.
Craft came to Dalton early this year as the Chief of Student Services and Activities.
“As I have climbed up through leadership, this is just that next opportunity for me. This gives me a direct line to work with the district administrators who are going to work with our school leaders, who then will work with our teachers to drive student achievement,” said Dalton Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Steven Craft. “So, for us, it’s about building that partnership and building that trust with them to make sure that we can give our students what they need.”
Superintendent Craft’s contract will go into effect on May 16, 2024.
Weather Update: Tuesday – April 30, 2024
Louisiana man charged with rape in DeKalb County, Alabama
DEKALB COUNTY, Ala. (WDEF) — A Louisiana man has been arrested for a rape case in DeKalb County, Alabama, the sheriff’s office said.
Lafayette, Louisiana law enforcement arrested 31-year-old Bobby John Bergeron, Jr. on Friday, April 5.
Then on Saturday, April 27, he was extradited back to DeKalb County. Authorities are holding him at the DeKalb County Detention Center without bond.
Investigators said Bergeron was the suspect in a case of rape, sodomy and sexual abuse. They also said he fled to Louisiana.
The U.S. Marshals assisted law enforcement in locating him.
Bergeron faces rape 1, rape 2, sexual abuse 1 and sodomy 1 charges.
He will have a bond hearing later this week, according to the sheriff.
