Latest news with #Hammonds
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
TDOT warns about unpaid toll road charges scam
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Have you received a text message that claims you have unpaid toll road charges? It's a nationwide scam that has been targeting Tennesseans. 'Really, [we] want people to make sure people understand as of right now, there are no toll lanes, toll roads, anything in Tennessee that they would need to be paying a bill on,' Rebekah Hammonds with the Tennessee Department of Transportation said. 📧 Have breaking news come to you: → That's the message TDOT has shared on social media after text message scams were sent nationwide — including to some employees at News 2. 'I received the text a few weeks ago; people even on our team even received it maybe a couple months ago. . .I would say no one is safe,' Hammonds said. While as of publication there are no toll lanes or roads in Tennessee, in coming years, 'choice lanes' have been planned along Insterstate 24 between Murfreesboro and Nashville. The lanes will provide drivers with a faster lane if they pay a voluntary fee. 'I don't think it's new news to anyone that the I-24 corridor from Nashville to Murfreesboro is one of, if not the most, congested corridor in our state,' Hammonds said. Hammonds said everyone should notice a difference when it comes to traffic, whether you decide to drive in the choice lanes or not. 'What we want to make very clear, though, it is not a toll road. That may seem like we are splitting hairs, but we're really not because a toll road is an entire road that you cannot cross or use without paying a fee.' However, before TDOT continues onto the next phase of the proposed project, they hope to hear from the public this summer. ⏩ 'This is going to be a really important phase of the project and critical for the public to give us their feedback on the impact, environmentally, that this project could have' Hammonds said. And once toll lanes are in place, she hopes scams like this don't become more ramped. 'That is not the way that Choice Lanes would operate. That collections system would not operate in that way,' Hammonds said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How 5-star Chris Washington Jr. powered PCA into TSSAA basketball state championship in DII-A
COOKEVILLE — Providence Christian Academy junior Chris Washington Jr. stomped his foot so hard it was unclear if the hardwood floor at Hooper Eblen Center would be able to withstand the blow. Washington kept celebrating until he was out of breath Thursday. He finished with 20 points and nine rebounds in PCA's 76-70 victory over Goodpasture in the TSSAA basketball Division II-A state semifinals, pushing the Lions into the state final for the second consecutive year. 'Man, it just felt good,' Washington said. 'Now that we're here, we're here to win it all.' PCA (29-2) will play the winner of BGA and St. George's at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Tennessee Tech. Washington is ranked as the No. 22 player nationally overall in the Class of 2026 and the No. 1 player in Tennessee, according to the 247Sports Composite. He transferred to PCA in the offseason from The Villages Charter School (Florida) and has racked up offers from Auburn, Alabama, Michigan and others. More: TSSAA basketball state tournament roundup: King's Academy girls, PCA boys advance to DII-A championships Washington's presence was huge against Goodpasture (31-3), which trimmed PCA's lead from 17 to three with under three minutes in the fourth quarter. Washington slammed the final of his three dunks once PCA finally pulled away. Afterward, Washington's mind flashed back to earlier in the season. PCA coach Kerry Hammonds needed Washington and PCA's talented returning nucleus to mesh quickly. More: TSSAA basketball state tournament: Tennessee high school sectional bracket Hammonds coached Washington hard during practice, especially early in the season. 'Boy, it was hard. I can't even lie. It was tough,' Washington said. 'But I just thank him. There's a lot he has taught me through the season.' It was nothing personal. Hammonds mostly wanted Washington to pay better attention to details. 'Just having a professional mindset of, being on time, working on your craft, stretching before, being ready by the time you get to the floor and ready to practice,' Hammonds said. 'He's taken coaching. Some days it's tougher than others. But he's an honest young man and wants to be coached. He has fit right in with the others.' PCA is one win from claiming the state championship that eluded it last year. The Lions suffered a bitter 57-55 loss to First Assembly Christian on a last second-shot. Washington may not have been on that team, but he'll still bring plenty of emotions into Saturday. His mom, Tiffany Lashay Pritchett, died when he was 14. Tiffany's birthday was March 4. 'I know what it's like to lose. Last year we lost on my mom's birthday. That plays a big part into why I want to win,' Washington said. 'The things me and my mom went through growing up, I just want to do it for her.' Reach sports writer Tyler Palmateer at tpalmateer@ and on the X platform, formerly Twitter, @tpalmateer83. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TSSAA basketball tournament: Chris Washington Jr. leads PCA past Goodpasture
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Beaufort County Sheriff running for re-election
BEAUFORT COUNTY, N.C. (WNCT) — Beaufort County Sheriff Scott Hammonds is running for re-election. Hammonds was the Republican candidate for Sheriff in 2022 when he was elected over Corey Rogerson. Hammonds announced through a Facebook post that he would be running, saying 'I have been working with integrity, the truth, and an open door policy from the first day I began serving at Sheriff.' The election is in November of 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Frontier Health receives check for walk-in center renovations, therapy for Helene victims
BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) — Food City presented Frontier Health with a significant check on Thursday. Kristie Hammonds, president and CEO at Frontier Health, said the partnership with Food City started years ago. On Thursday, Food City presented Frontier Health with a check for $50,000. 'So, our partnership with Food City started many, many, many moons ago when we actually started working with them on employing some individuals that we serve,' Hammonds said. 'And so it's evolved over the last several years as we've grown to know each other, and they have started to really look at investing back in some of the services that we provide, i.e., which led to the check presentation today.' Domtar: New treatment system to reduce odors from Kingsport site Hammonds said the money will be divided into two ways: $25,000 will support Frontier Health's 24-hour Crisis Walk-In Center that is currently under renovation, and $25,00 will be used to support those affected by Hurricane Helene. She said the services regarding Hurricane Helene will focus on mental health. 'So if they have a need for therapy or just to sit down and talk with someone, they can seek services at Frontier Help free of charge,' Hammonds said. Hammonds said the Walk-In Center hopes to reopen in July. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
13-02-2025
- CBS News
Public safety program in San Francisco faces uncertain future amid budget crisis
SAN FRANCISCO — Funding for public safety service Urban Alchemy cleared a hurdle Wednesday after being held up by the previous San Francisco Board of Supervisors in December 2024. The budget and finance committee advanced a $4 million amendment for the group in addition to its $16 million allocation that was approved in the city's annual budget. "Urban Alchemy has made a positive difference in the areas where we have been able to deploy them," Supervisor Rafael Mandelman told CBS News Bay Area, who co-sponsored the funding amendment. "As our budgets get tighter, we're going to have to take a closer look at all our contracts and make some tough choices, but for now I support keeping the UA work going through the end of this fiscal year. But as the city faces a $876 million budget deficit, it's unclear how long their support from city leaders will last. For Louie Hammonds, a practitioner with Urban Alchemy, every positive engagement — whether offering a cigarette or simply saying hello — is a step toward creating a cleaner, safer community. "Tin foil tells a story. An orange cap tells a story. A needle tells a story. It's a story we don't want told. It's a story of trauma, story of sadness, story of pain," Hammonds said. "How do you show a community you care? By picking it up immediately, by having a conversation." After serving 21 years of a life sentence, he is now giving back through his work with Urban Alchemy, a nonprofit that employs formerly incarcerated individuals to help mediate street conflicts, clean up drug paraphernalia, and provide outreach to vulnerable populations. They are only armed with Narcan, sometimes cigarettes, and, as Hammonds says, "a whole lot of love." Rather than relying solely on law enforcement, Hammonds and his colleagues step in to de-escalate volatile situations. He recalls an incident where he and ten other practitioners successfully intervened in an alleged robbery — without police involvement. Something like that happens "at least once a day," he said. Urban Alchemy reports significant strides in its efforts. New data reported by the group and shared exclusively with CBS News Bay Area, cites 2,547,926 positive engagements in 2024 — more than double the previous year's total. The organization has also disposed of 74,348 needles, reversed 101 overdoses, and engaged in 92,514 de-escalations. But these services come at a cost. The organization is projected to spend $20 million annually, as $4 million recently approved by the city's budget committee heads to the full board of supervisors for consideration on Feb. 25. This equates to roughly $8 per positive engagement — an expense that comes amid Mayor Daniel Lurie's efforts to address an $876 million budget deficit. Despite the high price tag, local leaders believe the program is vital. Steve Gibson, executive director of the Mid Market Business Association, which contracts with Urban Alchemy, said the need for intervention remains strong in areas like the Tenderloin, SoMa and Market Street. "There is still a very high need for that type of intervention on the streets," Gibson said. "Hopefully, Urban Alchemy remains part of the solution." However, the long-term future of the program is uncertain. "What we don't know — and it's a little early to say — is how the administration will move forward after this fiscal year," Gibson noted. "What combination of programs they might choose to elevate or create remains to be seen." For Hammonds, the goal is not just to provide temporary relief but to instill a sense of community ownership. He welcomes a watchful eye from the city to show their worth in numbers and in person. "We're not easy to love, we're formerly incarcerated, formerly addicted, formerly unhoused. It's probably easier to blame us," he said. "But I'm okay with checking the numbers and saying, 'Hey, let me see what you brought to the table.' And that's what we're doing."
