530ppm-2021-03-16

530ppm-2021-03-16

Coming up, lightning strikes spark several fires in one neighborhood, including a gas line.

And we'll learn what the hamilton county school system plans to do with its federal covid stimulus funding.

Those stories straight ahead on news 12 now at 5:30.

"news 12 now at 5:30.

Your news starts now."

Good evening.

I'm andrew harrison.

Emily cassulo has the night off.

Thanks for joining us for news 12 now at 5:30.

Early morning lightning caught homes on fire in hixson.

Around 6 a-m neighbors in the hampton woods subdivision called 9-1-1 reporting that lightning struck a gas line, tree, and a house.

Dallas bay fire crews were able to contain the blaze after two homes were damaged.

"i go look out my window.

I see orange all over.

So i go look outside i see a giant column of fire here and i'm like 'what on earth happened?'

No injuries have been reported at this time.

This time.

The chattanooga fire department was called to 39-30 bowman lane this morning.

When crews arrived they found a camper on fire.

Firefighters worked for some time to get the fire under control.

One woman suffered minor burns trying to get her dogs out of the burning camper.

2 dogs died in the fire.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Another fire broke out on highland avenue this morning.

The fire was found in the back of the house..which was being remodeled.

The people and pets living in the building got out safely.

No official word yet what caused the fire.

Hamilton county schools are receiving more than 40 and a half million dollars from the latest covid relief package.

News 12 brian armstrong joins us live to take a look at the numbers.

In the first wave of covid relief hamilton county schools received nearly 11 million dollars in the latest wave, the school system will receive near 4 times that.

That 40 and a half million is a one- time payment through the covid relief bill to help schools through elementary and secondary school emergency relief also called esser during the hamilton county school board meeting, the school system broke down where the money will be allocated.

Of the 40 million, nearly two million will be going to the county's charter schools and an additional two million will go to indirect costs.

Of the remaining 36 million dollars, about 70 percent is being divided between learning loss, education technology, and learning acceleration.

No amount of money that we get will ever be able to make up for the lost education of the students.

We just can't do it.

They lost a year.

There's really not anything we're gonna be able to do about it we're going to just have to do the best that we can.

The proposal has been submitted to the state for approval.

Hamilton county schools are receiving more than 40 and a half million dollars from the latest covid relief package.

News 12 brian armstrong joins us live to take a look at the numbers.

In the first wave of covid relief hamilton county schools received nearly 11 million dollars in the latest wave, the school system will receive near 4 times that.

That 40 and a half million is a one- time payment through the covid relief bill to help schools through elementary and secondary school emergency relief also called esser during the hamilton county school board meeting, the school system broke down where the money will be allocated.

Of the 40 million, nearly two million will be going to the county's charter schools and an additional two million will go to indirect costs.

Of the remaining 36 million dollars, about 70 percent is being divided between learning loss, education technology, and learning acceleration.

No amount of money that we get will ever be able to make up for the lost education of the students.

We just can't do it.

They lost a year.

There's really not anything we're gonna be able to do about it we're going to just have to do the best that we can.

The proposal has been submitted to the state for approval.

If the proposal is approved by the state it will then need to be approved by the school board.

Reporting live brian armstrong news 12 now the hamilton county covid-19 joint task force met virtually today for their weekly update.

The task force is excited about the roll out of the johnson & johnson vaccine as the number of hamilton county residents receiving the vaccine continues to steadily increase.

As of yesterday, more than 130- thousand vaccines had been given in hamilton county.

"we're very excited about the increase cadence in vaccination in our community with the new johnson & johnson vaccine coming online in to our community we expect more availability overall in the days ahead."

Bond says that healthcare workers who want to volunteer to help administer vaccinations can call the health department to sign up.

Today, president biden hit the road for his first leg of the so-called "help is here" tour.

But as he and top officials fan out across the country to sell his covid relief plan, republicans are launching their own counter-messaging campaign.

Skyler henry is at the white house with more.

As we cover the nation.

President joe biden traveled to a philadelphia suburb to visit a small business -- and promote the american rescue plan.

"we're in a position where it's going to bring immediate relief."

This is all part a six-state swing for the president, vice president, and their spouses to peel back the layers of the plan for the american public... "the republican national committee is launching its own campaign to combat the biden administration's messaging on the covid relief bill.

They say the massive plan spends too little on the pandemic."

Minority leader) "they tried to call the bill a couple of weeks ago a covid bill, which had 1 percent for vaccines and 9 percent for health care and a whole lot of other things."

During a house committee hearing -- acting fema administrator bob fenton contradicted assertions that migrants crossing the southern border are spreading covid-19... "there's testing happening.

What we're seeing is less than 6% positive right now, coming across the border."

He also said fema is pushing to get many more americans vaccinated as soon as possible... before hurricane and wildfire seasons begin.

"fema is working with other federal agencies and our partners to ensure vaccinations can proceed quickly as increased supply alloows so that everybody that wants a vaccciine can get one."

Tuesday, mississippi became the 2nd state -- after alaska -- to open vaccine eligibility to everyone 16 and older.

Skyler henry, cbs news, the white house.

After a neighborhood wal-mart announced it would be closing this month, the topic of food deserts has come to the forefront.

Now, a nonprofit grocery store in highland park is hoping to bring food security to those in need.

News 12's kenan scott spoke with the founder of gaining ground grocery about what they're doing to help.

To address food insecurity and groceries darted as our way to address food access and in 3744.

Is it because there's not a lot of breasted options is a good thing to start executive director holly martin is a nutritionist who previously managed the main street bombers market with the launch of gaining ground groceries in 2019.

She now partners with ove 20 local producers to provide nutritious food for those in need and more.

She says her project alone won't solve food in purity.

She hopes will be a start and that soon it could even be replicated are 500 square-foot grocery store will all students are in chattanooga, but i guess that only a start and we're doing a lot of analytics on how our operations work and something that can be replicated.

I think that it can start to chip away at the unit's issues and we're just trying to talk to a lot of people and make a partnership and anti-gun listeners.

The chandigarh food bank also has stepped up to hel members of the brainerd community jennifer lockwood fritz says that resources are available with the bank to those who need our distribution are here i am.

I.

It is perhaps i am anywhere, send your only option you can call here we can leave any partner agency area.

The day we can direct you to the brainerd petri in chattanooga.

Keenan, scott is 12 now ... thank you so much of that repor by the guy got arrested delano tennessee mapper several organ reason matthew baumgardner is accused of stealing, among othe things, a commercial lawn more more than $10,000 sunset memorial guard sees been both the bradley county jail on four counts of the and three counts of burglary and arthritis is here.

The main educational society is joined in the one by helping get their animals a adopted nonprofit organizations created a march madness the profile for several of their profiles feature the animals weight their age, personality and basketball toby doing sometd engaging.

The humane society is also hosting a st.

Patrick's day wheel of furtune where you can spin the wheel to get the chance to have your adoption fee waived or win a free pet id tag go to our website wdef dot com for more information.

Now, from the epb fiberoptics weather center, your storm team the howard hustlin' tigers are heading to the state tournament for the second time in three years.

They have experience and depth on their side as they get ready for thursday's quarterfinal game.

News 12's angela moryan caught up with the tigers before their trip to murfreesboro.

James talley: "our goal was always to at least qualify for the state tournament.

It was never to win a region or district because howard high school, traditionally we have those."

The howard hustlin tigers fell just short of the state tournament last year, so this year, they had only one goal ... get to that state game.

Meechie bowens: "everything in chattanooga, you can win it, but we ain't trying to win.

We're trying to get the bigger ball."

Talley: "we didn't want to look at the short term things.

We wanted to shoot for the moon, and here we are.

We still have a chance."

The glory of the glass house won't be new to this tigers team.

This year's seniors were sophomores when howard lost in the quarterfinals two years ago.

Kerrick thorne: "i was on the court nervous, i remember.

I had the butterflies.

Then when i started to get on a roll, it was just pass it to me.

I kept scoring, getting rebounds, doing everything i can."

Talley: "two years ago, it was an enormous amount of pressure to just produce.

Success has always been the expectation at howard high school, and we hadn't lived up to that expectation for a couple years up until that point.

This year, the guys are here and they're family.

Regardless of the outcome, we're going to go out there and have fun.

The expectation is to win."

Chris hall: "the seniors, we got more experience this year from last time we went.

I feel like we have a lot more players that play more."

Thorne: "we have more chemistry, and a better team.

We all come together as one because we've been together for so long.

The spark has always been there since we went to state our first time."

Talley: "there are some schools, there are some legendary coaches that have never made it to the state tournament, so for them to make it twice is a big success."

Angela will be up in murfreesboro thursday for full coverage of both howard and cleveland's state tournament runs.

Both teams play back to back starting at 12:30 eastern.

Coming up on prime news... we'll tell you why debt collectors can now access your stimulus check.

And, could children soon be eligible to get the covid-19 vaccine?

The makers of the moderna shot are working on it.

We'll explain, in tonight's health watch.

Join us for prime news at seven.

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

Here's a live look from our the plainview outdoor camera in soddy daisy from the e-p-b fiber optics weather cam network.

Our satellite and radar imagery shows low temperatures by morning highs temperatures at the 6 o'clock hour our trueview sky shows the next three days will bring our forecast calls for supercast our storm team 7 day forecast calls for our storm team 12 7 day forecast: coming up next, chips tells us which states put the most stock in which superstitions, as the lucky irish holiday is tomorrow.

Next, in chip's good word.

Stick with us.

We're taking a look at luck and superstitions as we head in st.

Patrick's day.

About a third of us believe st.

Patrick's day is the luckiest day of the year..

According to a survey by potawatomi hotel & casino.

Next, in chip's good word.

Stick with us.

We're taking a look at luck and superstitions as we head in st.

Patrick's day.

About a third of us believe st.

Patrick's day is the luckiest day of the year..

According to a survey by potawatomi hotel & casino.

And they should know a thing or two about luck.

They also know about superstitions.

The casino crunched google search data to find out which we believe in the most.

And the top superstition among tennesseans is friday the 13th bringing bad luck.

But our neighbors have different superstitions.

In georgia, the most popular one is that if a lady bug lands on you, it brings good luck.

In alabama, they favor throwing some salt over your shoulder to bring good luck.

While north carolinians are more negative.

They fear black cats.

We still have all kinds of superstitions in america... more than 200 according to the survey.

But the most popular is the one about the salt over your shoulder.

So we're wishing the luck of the irish to you on wednesday.

If you have some good news to share with us..

Email us at the station or post it on the news 12 now facebook page.

Lacey gonzalez gave birth to her fourth baby in an unusual way, but robertson.

Shows you how to save calories on delicious fried food!