6pm-11052020

6pm-11052020

One chattanooga ballot initiative that won overwhelming support.

And give you an update on the tightening vote count in georgia.

Those stories straight ahead on news 12 now at 6.

"news 12 at 6.

Your news starts now."

Good evening.

I'm emily cassulo.

Thanks for joining us for news 12 now at 6.

Andrew has the night off.

Chattanoogans voted to approve a charter amendment tuesday that reinforces the city's police advisory board.

The amendment was voted favorably by 77% of the more than 65,000 chattanoogans who voted.

News 12's kenan scott joins us live in studio with more details.

Emily - the nine-member police advisory board was formed in 2019 after a series of allegations of police brutality - including the filmed beating of a 37-year old man during an arrest in march 2018.

While the committee was approved unanimously by the current council, councilwoman demetrus coonrod said the amendment was necessary to ensure its existence under future mayors and councils.

Coonrod, who sponsored the amendment, said wednesday that the approval of the ordinance shows just how seriously chattanoogans take public safety reform.

The subject of police brutality and additional law enforcement oversight has become a major issue nationwide, especially after numerous protests over the summer.

"ordinances they can change at any given time, right?

So with the severity of the issue of police brutality and our constintuients feeling really uneasy with our police department and we haven't just glued or built that positive relationship with them, it was important to have a place in the charter."

While its formation was approved unanimously by the current council, coonrod said the charter amendment was necessary to safeguard its existence under future mayoral administrations and councils.

Still, coonrod wants to see further police oversight authority for the board and council, with help specifically from the state.

"there's no right way to say what an effective police oversight must look like, but the things that i do know that we do have to have in it is i believe that it needs to have its own independence, we most definitely gotta make sure that it has adequate funding in order to do the things that we need it to do we have to have the people that are serving on the board have to have access to the critical information, they have to build a report."

Coonrod says that the charter was in high demand from her constituients, and that the formation of the committee was a long time coming.

An additional amendment was also passed which allows county, state, and federal government employees to run for city elected office.

Reporting live in studio, kenan scott news 12 now.

Georgia has more than 40 thousand ballots left to count, with the presidential race still too close to call.

Georgia officials were originally hoping to have the results by noon today.

Now the state is hoping votes will all be tallied by the end of the night.

Secretary of state gabriel sterling spoke for a second time today, to give an update on where the georgia count is currently.

He echoed the same statements he said earlier in the day - that the vote counters are working as quickly as they can without sacrificing accuracy.

Sterling says people can put any fear to rest if they think georgia's vote count wont be accurate.

.i understand that in other states there are questions.

I can only speak for this state i can speak for the people of secretary raffensperger staff the election around the state they're going to get it right we are going to have an audit to prove we got it right.

We went from a bristol day audit which is a little more difficult to do then a traditional audit we are going to have a recount more than likely and we will see that states essential the same.

Sterling also referenced that florida received more votes than georgia, but there's a much closer finish in the peach state.

There are more votes in georgia required to be counted, before election officials can declare a winner.

Covid-19 cases are on the rise.

There are more than 12-hundred active cases in hamilton county right now.

News 12's brian armstrong finds out what makes an active case active.

Dr paul hendricks says a covid 19 active case - is a positive case still in isolation.

A person is considered active usually for 10 days.

Before they come out of isolation the fever needs to be gone for at least 24 hours and their symptoms need to be at least definitely improving most people will no longer be contagious after about 10 days.

Dr hendricks says 10 days can start from the moment someone shows symptoms. if you get symptomatic on sunday and get tested on tuesday will start at 10 day count from sunday now for the people who are asymptomatic and maybe they've been in contact or they've been exposed or just concerned and they get tested and they're positive but have no symptoms then we had to start from the day they're tested.

He says the isolation period is 10 days because the research on how long the virus is infectious many people have done cereal testing they've gone and study the virus to see if it grows and after about 10 days they find the number of people that they can find with active infections with the virus drops to pretty much is zero.

Dr hendricks says a positive test doesn't mean you are still contagious.

The problem is some people will continue to test positive for even weeks after after their well because the test is for the genetic material and even though you're no longer contagious sometimes the test will still pick up some leftover genetic material.

Brian armstrong news 12 now a spike in covid cases is causing the chattanooga mayor to close city buildings once again.

News 12's dorothy sherman is in front of city hall and explains what folks need to know.

This sign pretty much explains it.

Beginning tomorrow at 4:30 there will be restricted public access to city hall.

So essentially you will not be able to get inside starting monday morning.

But, it's not just city hall, officials are suspending access to the city annex and city services at the development resource center.

Libraries will be closed but still utilizing curbside service.

City staff does monitor covid cases and according to a press release with the thousands of positive cases seen in hamilton county, city employees they say have not been immune.

All services will still be provided but they warn that an outbreak or additional positive cases with employees could cause a disruption.

There is not a hard date on when the buildings will reopen so in the mean time they are asking folks take care of what they need to online or over the phone.

Live in chattanooga, dorothy sherman, news 12 now.

Chattanooga police are looking for the person who shot a man outside an apartment complex yesterday afternoon.

It happened around 12:30, near the carriage parc apartments on gunbarrel road.

Police were told the 20-year-old victim was a passenger in a car.

An unidentified person in another car pulled in behind them, shot him, and took off.

Some residents from the apartment complex tell news 12, bullets hit their building, but no one was hurt.

If you have any information, call chattanooga police.

Funeral arrangements have been set for the bus driver killed in the meigs county school bus crash last week.

Lisa dillard of birchwood was killed along with a 7 year old girl.

Dillard's celebration of life will be held this saturday at 7:30 at burdette baptist church.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7:30 that day.

Companion funeral home is in charge of arrangements.

Extra manpower had to be called to a fire off shallowford road this afternoon.

The call came in just after 1, of a burning structure on grider way.

Flames spread through the attic and quickly tore through the rest of the house.

Several additional crews responded to the fire due to the size of the building.

No one was hurt.

The cause is under investigation.

Fire officials in walker county say there is a correlation with an increase in fires and colder weather.

News 12's bekah birdsall explains.

There have seven fires this past week in walker county.

The most recent fire happened wednesday morning at a house on west 8th street in chickamauga.

While investigations of three of the fires are ongoing, four have been concluded as accidental, resulting from heat equipment.

Thankfully, no injuries or deaths were reported.

However, walker county fire & rescue officials are urging the community to follow safety protocals during this cold weather.

"three of the houses have totally been consumed by fire, total loss.

During the cold weather months, people try to stay warm and they don't use proper safety measures as needed.

Main thing, proper clearance for the portable space heaters, to only use electronical devices in a way that are designed, and use smoke alarms safely."

The assistant fire marshal recommends having a three to five feet of distance from all directions from space heaters and equipment.

Walker county fire & rescue does provide free smoke alarms and installations.

Reporting in walker county, bekah birdsall, news 12 now.

Now, from the epb fiberoptics weather center, your storm team 12, 24 hour forecast.

Our 24 hour forecast shows coming up, find ou in a pretty nice day out there yet we had some high clouds pushed through for your afternoon was an filtered sunshine but really no harm to dallas at imagers work pretty comfortable to i want to show you a beautiful view out to the west on reb by rock is whether cam network this is from the point at 153 season the traffic and often the distance also those high clouds screaming on through right now xd to at the 6 o'clock our relative humidity of 55% not much when and the wind has been like the last several days as our titan radar dry even those clouds are pushing through no rain with those those routers high clouds and don't worry about that as the temperatures are in the upper 50s to lower 60s i still some lower 50s around murphy 57 blue ridge tellico 55 on top of the belt near monteagle are forecast for your nighttime hours cooling down was guys becoming fair after midnight will be in the upper 40s by one or two and i as we i get close to the weekend i should be a good time maybe to do some fishing maybe some deer hunting tomorrow evening for the six is time to get out and on the way to the break check out her news 12 now half if you need news 12 weather sports even some traffi out there we have to do a search and download ... and anything else that her and her family holiday event ... here's a live college on lookout mountain from th is he will you will if you notice the last few weeks we haven't been closed any record highs or lows you some pretty quiet train or fall weather that's good news it good to hav a good extended arm season and today was not one of those days here's what some of our facts and figures we were 42 and 68 is pretty close to the 43 and 67 as you see the records and 80 and 22 sonoma close to that we were dry again as our satellite and radar showed those high clouds pushing through the notice is a stretch of the great lakes down to the gym of the gulf coast no rain and you see a few showers off the carolina virginia coast maybe a space close to lard is well but all in all it is of very wide i weather scenario from the rockies up to these coast to sigh pressures over th carolinas were cnf lodestar to return little bit from the south and southwest that warm air over texas is going to start to move our way as well you tha we noticed over the next couple days through the weekend local teacher cascio's temperatures pleasantly cool overnight tonight lotto is between bolus a 45 and 47 as ubl a bit chillier from labeling on over to the a co-week murphy and blairsville and blue ridge and what about after that though lots of sunshine to give us and actually gorgeous day and the lower 70s for eyes so lab like sunshine and the blue plate special abou 73 for your time by ralph or or 30 regional future catholic and very nice for friday night big football games so no problems on the gridiron overnight lows near 50 for saturday morning and eve through the afternoon on saturday more good-looking whether in fact it will be a little bit warmer look like about 75 and mostly sunny skies so our long-range work as continues to show dry and pleasantly warm weather through the rest of the weekend giving way to a warm and dry monday but looks like the weather could be getting unsettled i later next week starting wednesday and that could continuing the thursday and next friday as wel that something will keep our eyes on but in the near-term looking and feeling great exten of future cash from saturday night through sunday morning showing temperatures a bit milder only the upper 50s and from there i will warm up against sunday and see if you were clouds was still probably spend of the mid-70s so no real issues out there as our super cascio's once again very unsettled weather down into the tropics as a we still have trouble to depression at a still over the central american a mainland but is can get pushback out of the caribbean so you see cuban florida seeing a really unsettled weather and unsettled weather's good again gulf of mexico and us, combined with a frontal system you see that by wednesday and thursday bring showers and moisture start to get drawn up from the south so that's another reason why our weather pattern may be getting settled and am actually stall out just to ourselves so we could see a little rain here.

As we had in today's 89 eight 910 but the next seven not looking too bad will detail more that from the vb fiber-optic weather center hears that seven-day forecast does temperatures probably 70 or above each and every day in fact the next three or four days are to be very nice lower to middle 70s but be up t 77 by monday overnight lows will be milder to as we approach the weekend into the beginning of next week i am and i'm a feeling that it has a 19 hand and a kin presidential election this year has taken it for a lot of people think of how i felt wide when experts share some idea with all baxter at and will take a look at volkswagen he was far to the right knee and ... the 2020 chattanooga veteran center annual food drive is now accepting food items for the holiday season.

Last year, the center was able to feed over one hundred veterans and their families.

Former veteran and current outreach specialist, kevin baker, says the food drive this year is more essential than ever for veterans due to covid-19.

"my goal is to feed the families when they get out of school for the christmas break because we rely on two meals a day from the school that breakfast and lunch, so if i can take that away that bill right there that should be able to add to presents - buying, bills paid, things of that.

If i can take that worry away from our veterans, that would be great, that is my mission."

The veteran center is asking for non - perishable food items. for information on donating, head to the link through our website.

Is sunday's game between the titans and bears in jeopardy because of covid?

And the coronavirus impacts baylor's playoff game.

Here's rick nyman with sports.

Plus, six area players are semifinalists for the state's mr. football award.

And we'll profile the c-c-s running back, who's so good, they named him twice.

Mike mike baxter.

"now from the news 12 sports desk."

The t-double-s, double-a, announced the semi-finalists for the state's mr. football awards, and we had six local players make the prestigious list.

The semifinalists include will meadows of meigs county.

Mccallie's b-j harris, and baylor's elija howard.

Mcminn county running back jalen hunt.

And south pittsburg has two semifinalists in jared stone and hunter frame.

Reporter:"how did you find out you were a mr. football semifinalist?"

Stone:"i just kind of woke up.

Got on social media.

Scrolling through facebook and twitter, and i saw it.

I just couldn't believe it really."

Frame:"it's an honor to be awarded that you know.

You just know that if you win it, you're pretty good.

So it's a good thing to have."> the baylor football team is in quarintine with covid issues.

As a result, their playoff opener at m-b-a has been moved from november 13th to november 14th.

The chicago bears closed their practice facilities today, hoping to avoid a potential covid out-break.

Another player tested positive on thursday.

For now, chicago's game against the titans sunday in nashville is still on.

Despite playing only seven regular season games, c-c-s running back jamichael baxter still rushed for over a thousand yards this year with 14 touchdowns.

And it seems like all of mike mike's scores are made for the highlight reel.

In back-to-back weeks, mike mike baxter has produced a 90- yard touchdown run.

That's rare.

That's boss.

Baxter:"i mean i know what i'm capable of.

I really wasn't that surprised when it happened.

I mean i know what i'm capable of, so it wasn't too surprising."

And the 90-yarder against knox webb was no gimme.

Baxter:"so i saw the linebacker.

He was only one-on-one, so i just dropped my shoulder.

Hope for the best, and i saw open field in front of me after that, so i just kept going."

Mariakis:"the last two or three weeks he has just kind of really stepped up.

I think part of that is our line is growing up.

We are young offensive linemen."

Mike mike is only 5'6, but he runs like iron mike.

Mariakis:"you know i call him a walking muscle because he's just so rock hard."

Hall:"it's probably hard for people to tackle him because you have to get low, but he can get low also and run you right over."

Baxter:"he's a track sprinter, so he has the break away speed, but his legs, his thighs, and hips are so powerful.

And what about that name.

Mike mike.

Baxter:"well i played little league when i was about four years- old.

That's when i started.

My coaches.

Then never remembered our names.

So he was like, you know what, we're going to call you mike mike."

Reporter:"how cool is the name mike mike?"

Hall:"uh it's prett cool.

I wish i had a name like mike mike."

Mariakis:"he keeps rushing for close to 300 a game, would you be willing to go by mark mark?"

Mariakis:" yeah.

I'll call him anything he wants, if he keeps getting 300 yards a game.

But yeah, he's a special kid."

> here's a final look at our forecast...