CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) –  Imagine explaining to your child that he or she has cancer. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), more than 15,000 children and teenagers are diagnosed with the disease each year in the United States. One Chicago family with roots in Chattanooga experienced this diagnosis firsthand.

Meet 6-year-old Alexander Brown, his sister Charlotte, mom Christy, and dad Matt. This family has been through a lot in the past few years. This sweet, energetic little boy was diagnosed with cancer in 2023. The family was on vacation in Florida when the unexpected happened. Christy Brown, Alexander’s mother says, “That’s when our lives were turned upside down. They found a 4.2 cm mass, never in a million years did we think something like this could happen to us.” The family was faced with a lot of difficult decisions while Alexander tackled his treatment.  “When we first found out about Alexander’s diagnosis, I had no clue about this world and from the minute we started to meet other families, I was raised in Chattanooga, and we did fundraisers and I don’t think I fully understood or could appreciate what St. Jude did or the what the Ronald McDonald House did that this is so much bigger than us,” said Christy.

The family spent the last few years documenting Alexander’s journey, giving hope to other families facing a cancer diagnosis. “For all the unluckiness he is lucky to be getting treatment now… than he was 5 or 10 years ago, he has got a better chance now than he would at any point in the past…and that is because of all the research that has been done,” said Matt Brown, Alexander’s dad. The Brown family believes the more research that is done, the more hope is given to families with children battling cancer. “The more attention that can be paid to it…the more resources that can be devoted to it the more smart people that can be devoted to it the better the outcomes can get,” said Matt. “It’s my heart it’s my pocketbook, it’s my mind, we need to get the politics out of it and really focus on this research,” said Congressman Chuck Fleischmann. The Brown family recently traveled to Washington to visit congressional offices, talking to lawmakers about funding and policy.   We spoke to the family about a bill called “Give Kids a Chance”, a very important piece of legislation dealing with pediatric cancer. “The bill that has been brought up before and its achieved bipartisan support lots and lots of representatives have signed on to it. It’s a measure we have high hopes for a bill that in the testing of drugs for childhood cancer that right now can only be tested for adult cancers,” said Matt.  “It’s going to allow. Compel the FDA to move faster, we want safe drugs, it bothers me when there is someone out there that has terminal cancer and can’t get the drug treatment,” said Fleischmann. Representative Fleischmann says there have only been 7 new cancer drugs released in the last 3 decades. “Most of the cancers now that children are being treated with are with drugs that were approved 30 years ago,” said Fleischmann. The Brown Family is hoping to change that, with Washington’s support. “In a town that is often in need of a bipartisan agreement this I think is an issue that a lot of people can agree upon and as long as it gets enough momentum, I think it stands a chance,” said Matt. A chance to help kids like Alexander, live full lives. “He is the example of what kids can be with the good treatments they can look forward to long healthy lives, bringing the happiness of children to the world and he is the poster child for how unfair childhood cancer is but at the same time he is an illustration of what children should be able to look forward to,” said Matt.

BRADLEY COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — A quick response from Bradley County deputies led to the arrest of a suspect following a series of suspicious events at a local golf course.

Deputies from the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) responded to the course’s maintenance facility after security footage showed two individuals acting suspiciously near dumpsters.

Upon arrival, deputies spotted a man, later identified as Jeffrey Swallows, reaching into the trunk of a white Kia.

Swallows fled on foot when he noticed deputies, prompting a perimeter to be set up, along with a K9 search and drone deployment.

Shortly after, deputies were alerted that Swallows had returned to the golf course and was involved in an altercation in the parking lot.

He attempted to enter a white GMC truck before golf course employees detained him until deputies arrived.

Swallows admitted he tried to enter the truck to evade capture.

Investigators later determined the white Kia and its license plate were improperly registered but not reported stolen.

Additional evidence was collected at the scene.

Swallows is bring charged with Burglary, Auto Burglary, and Resisting Arrest.

He was later booked into the Bradley County Jail.

GRUNDY COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) – On Monday, April 28, Grundy County High School will be having virtual instruction.

This is due to a utility repair.

All other schools will have regular class sessions.

Sunday: Cloud/Sun Mix. Warm.
Highs: high 70’s. Winds: NE @ 5 MPH.

Overnight: A Few Clouds. Mild. Patchy Fog.
Lows: mid 50’s. Winds: N @ 5 MPH.

Monday: Cloud/Sun Mix. Warm. Isolated PM Showers/Thunderstorms.
Highs: low 80’s. Winds: NE @ 5 MPH.

Overnight: A Few Clouds. Mild.
Lows: mid 50’s. Winds: N @ 5 MPH.

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“In the dark and cold of winter, sea ice forms and spreads across Arctic seas. But in recent years, less new ice has been forming, and less multi-year ice has accumulated. This winter continued a downward trend scientists have observed over the past several decades. This year’s peak ice cover was 510,000 square miles (1.32 million square kilometers) below the average levels between 1981 and 2010. “

In 2025, summer ice in the Antarctic retreated to 764,000 square miles (1.98 million square kilometers) on March 1, tying for the second lowest minimum extent ever recorded. That’s 30% below the 1.10 million square miles (2.84 million square kilometers) that was typical in the Antarctic prior to 2010. Sea ice extent is defined as the total area of the ocean with at least 15% ice concentration.”

The Globe at Night program is an international citizen-science campaign to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by inviting citizen-scientists to measure their night sky brightness and submit their observations from a computer or smart phone. Light pollution threatens not only our “right to starlight”, but can affect energy consumption, wildlife and health. More than 200,000 measurements have been contributed from people in 180 countries over the last 14 years, making Globe at Night the most successful light pollution awareness campaign to date!

Explore the last 16 years of data in our interactive data map, where you can see how your area is doing by inputting your city’s name in the Location Box at the top of the map. Add a radius and tap or click “Search” to see the results. The Globe at Night website is easy to use, comprehensive and holds an abundance of background information. The database is usable for comparisons with a variety of other databases, like how light pollution affects the foraging habits of bats.
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“I have spent over 30 years studying meteorology and climate. We take a lot of physics, calculus, thermodynamics and other complex subjects. The atmosphere is a fluid within a rotating frame of reference. Such complexity is far beyond fourth grade lessons about cumulus clouds or cold fronts. As I look at the despair caused to those in the Southeast like farmers, homeowners and businesses, I wish we could control hurricanes. Many families lost loved ones or property. Many communities of color, poor rural areas and regions with high elderly concentrations receive a disproportionate punch from storms like Helene or Milton. Gosh, I wish we did have the technology to spare them such angst and despair. We don’t.”

Via Forbes Magazine (may require subscription to site)

Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd, a leading international expert in weather and climate, was the 2013 President of American Meteorological Society (AMS) and is Director of the University of Georgia’s (UGA) Atmospheric Sciences Program

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

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

Sunday: Cloud/Sun Mix. Warm.
Highs: high 70’s. Winds: NE @ 5 MPH.

Overnight: A Few Clouds. Mild. Patchy Fog.
Lows: mid 50’s. Winds: N @ 5 MPH.

Monday: Cloud/Sun Mix. Warm. Isolated PM Showers/Thunderstorms.
Highs: low 80’s. Winds: NE @ 5 MPH.

Overnight: A Few Clouds. Mild.
Lows: mid 50’s. Winds: N @ 5 MPH.

|

“In the dark and cold of winter, sea ice forms and spreads across Arctic seas. But in recent years, less new ice has been forming, and less multi-year ice has accumulated. This winter continued a downward trend scientists have observed over the past several decades. This year’s peak ice cover was 510,000 square miles (1.32 million square kilometers) below the average levels between 1981 and 2010. “

In 2025, summer ice in the Antarctic retreated to 764,000 square miles (1.98 million square kilometers) on March 1, tying for the second lowest minimum extent ever recorded. That’s 30% below the 1.10 million square miles (2.84 million square kilometers) that was typical in the Antarctic prior to 2010. Sea ice extent is defined as the total area of the ocean with at least 15% ice concentration.”

The Globe at Night program is an international citizen-science campaign to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by inviting citizen-scientists to measure their night sky brightness and submit their observations from a computer or smart phone. Light pollution threatens not only our “right to starlight”, but can affect energy consumption, wildlife and health. More than 200,000 measurements have been contributed from people in 180 countries over the last 14 years, making Globe at Night the most successful light pollution awareness campaign to date!

Explore the last 16 years of data in our interactive data map, where you can see how your area is doing by inputting your city’s name in the Location Box at the top of the map. Add a radius and tap or click “Search” to see the results. The Globe at Night website is easy to use, comprehensive and holds an abundance of background information. The database is usable for comparisons with a variety of other databases, like how light pollution affects the foraging habits of bats.
|

“I have spent over 30 years studying meteorology and climate. We take a lot of physics, calculus, thermodynamics and other complex subjects. The atmosphere is a fluid within a rotating frame of reference. Such complexity is far beyond fourth grade lessons about cumulus clouds or cold fronts. As I look at the despair caused to those in the Southeast like farmers, homeowners and businesses, I wish we could control hurricanes. Many families lost loved ones or property. Many communities of color, poor rural areas and regions with high elderly concentrations receive a disproportionate punch from storms like Helene or Milton. Gosh, I wish we did have the technology to spare them such angst and despair. We don’t.”

Via Forbes Magazine (may require subscription to site)

Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd, a leading international expert in weather and climate, was the 2013 President of American Meteorological Society (AMS) and is Director of the University of Georgia’s (UGA) Atmospheric Sciences Program

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

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