Latest news with #Channel9
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Saturday morning storms cause early headaches for Orlando travelers
Central Florida experienced delays and cancellations at Orlando International Airport and Sanford Airport on Saturday morning. The line of strong storms that rolled through Central Florida Saturday morning caused delays and cancellations to stack up at Orlando International Airport and Sanford Airport before most passengers woke up. As of 11:30 a.m., 249 flights had been delayed flying in or out of the airports, while four flights had been canceled. Channel 9 shall continue to provide updates regarding weekend travel. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
How Hurricane Helene reshaped Lake Lure
It's hard to forget the images from Lake Lure following the destruction of Hurricane Helene. Over 22 inches of rain fell across the Lake Lure Dam watershed, leading to catastrophic damage to the town and surrounding areas. 'We had water getting funneled down through, it was coming around, over top of the bridges here, carrying with it that construction debris, businesses from up in Chimney Rock,' said Dustin Waycaster, Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director for the town of Lake Lure. 'We had campers, cars, propane tanks.' Waycaster told Channel 9's Danielle Miller he had no idea how bad it would be. 'This storm was just so unprecedented, like, even with that plan in place, it was flooding and debris that we've never had to deal with before,' he said. Eight months later, Lake Lure Mayor Carol Pritchett says the town has made significant strides in rebuilding. 'We're trying to make sure that as we repair the damage that was done from this disaster, we're also doing whatever we can to make it better, so that the next time we won't have this much disaster,' Pritchett said. One thing that's been a constant during recovery efforts in Lake Lure is the US Army Corps of Engineers, which estimates that 1 million cubic yards of debris still needs to be removed from the lake. That's about the amount of 300 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Along with dredging Lake Lure, Mayor Pritchett says there are plans to widen where the Broad River meets the lake. 'It was sort of like a nozzle when everything came down the river and shot it out with such great force. So just by widening some of that would slow that down and that would just be a huge, that would be a huge improvement,' Pritchett said. The Lake Lure Dam is also a central part of recovery efforts. While the 100-year-old dam itself did not fail during the storm, Mayor Pro-Tem Dave DiOrio says the town is working on plans to replace it so it can even better handle future weather events. 'Time moves on and we know more about weather patterns and we know more about the potential for flooding and this dam just doesn't meet the normal, modern standards of what we'd want with a dam both with capacity to absorb a flood,' said DiOrio. Helene's flooding rain not only put a spotlight on the need for a stronger dam, but also the need for a better protected communications infrastructure. The town built emergency sirens after the flood of 1996. Jim Proctor watched that flood from his backyard and says they've learned even more since then about how important the lake is for communication in western North Carolina. 'The main trunk line for internet and telephone between Charlotte and Asheville goes through the Hickory Nut Gorge; 90% of the connectivity between Charlotte and Asheville went away from Helene,' Proctor said. Proctor says plans are in place to bury new lines in the roads that are being constructed and to reset emergency management towers so they don't wash away during a flood. The town also hopes to build a new cell tower, so people can stay in touch during these big weather events. 'We'll build it back and it's coming back, but it's just a process we gotta work through,' Waycaster said. (VIDEO: Lake Lure Dam no longer at imminent risk of failure, officials say)
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘They can't get complacent': Monroe police go undercover dressed as high school students
Monroe Police are disguising themselves as high school students to remind school staff to be on alert. Channel 9's Gina Esposito learned it's part of a Monroe Police operation to ensure school's are keeping up with security. The disguised officers were able to get inside multiple schools, no questions asked, dressed in jeans and a hoodie. Police said they've been doing this since 2018. The idea came from an SRO assigned to Union Academy which then expanded to all schools in Monroe. In every operation undercover officers were able to get into the school, police said. 'One time a student allowed an undercover officer to come in a door and the teacher gave him a late pass even though he didn't belong there,' Lt. Morgan Malone of the Monroe Police Department said. In another operation, an officer walked into a high school, signed under a student's name and sat through a class, Malone said. ALSO READ: Former student arrested for bringing AR-15-style rifle to Union County school campus They've tested two schools this year, including Union Academy Charter. Police say an officer disguised as a student got in and walked around for 20 minutes. Parents said students were then reminded to wear their badges. 'After every operation the school resources officer debrief with the school administration, so whatever the issue was.. I believe one was that they were able to access through a maintenance gate that was unlocked,' Malone said. 'Certainly that was taken care of after the fact.' An officer also visited Rocky River Elementary disguised as a staff member, Malone said. Union County Public Schools said one of its staff members stopped them and sent them to the front office. While the officer was stopped, Malone said officers have always been able to get inside, and the goal is to change that. 'I think as a parent it's definitely frightening,' Malone said. 'It's something we have to think about, but hopefully it will be a tool and the education will help the school and even the students in the school understand that they can't get complacent; they have to keep their guard up.' Channel 9 reached out to Union County Public School about these undercover operations. School leaders said they support this effort, and they conduct their own safety assessments. The district added that they work with other law enforcement agencies and score each school's vulnerabilities. The results are then reported to administration, so they can make the needed changes. The district says it expects staff members to be leaders in identifying people who don't belong in schools. VIDEO: 'So vague': Parents demand change at Union County school after threatening incidents
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Police searching for 3 suspects involved in shootout following job fair
Police are looking for three suspects after a shootout in Iredell County on Thursday. Three suspects are wanted following a shootout just south of Statesville that police believe began with a case of road rage. Channel 9's Dave Faherty was on the scene Thursday as police investigated in the area off Interstate 77 on the 1000 block of Wall Street. Now, police have identified Antonieo Yurome Clark, 18, Noel Ethan Alexander, 25, and Chakrisis La'Richard Ramseur, 24, as suspects. All three suspects are from Statesville. When police said when they first arrived on the scene, they identified the suspect and began conducting interviews and investigating. Chopper 9 Skyzoom was over the scene where two cars could be seen with damage to them. Police said they identified the three suspects through witness statements and evidence at the scene. The two vehicles involved in the shootout were seen leaving a local job fair on surveillance video. Both groups involved were at the job fair before the shootout, police said. Police said shots were fired from the suspect vehicle at the victim vehicle as they drove toward Wall Street. On Wall Street, police said the victim vehicle returned fire. They then believe the suspects fled on foot. WATCH: Homes, cars struck in Iredell County shootout
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Police investigating a death in west Charlotte
Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's Homicide Unit are investigating a death along Golf Acres Drive, according to an CMPD alert on X. CMPD told Channel 9 at the scene that they found a body near a creek. This is a developing story. Check back with for updates. VIDEO: Shooting investigation leads to discovery of illegal gambling operation, CMPD says
