Latest news with #Weatherly
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Richmond police chief says he'll announce campaign for Wayne County sheriff on June 12
RICHMOND, IN — Richmond Police Chief Kyle Weatherly has announced he will run for Wayne County sheriff in the 2026 election to replace outgoing Sheriff Randy Retter. Weatherly said in a Facebook announcement Tuesday night that he will formally announce his candidacy June 12 at 5:30 p.m. at Smiley's Pub & Beer Garden, 39 N. 8th St. "For more than two decades, I've served Wayne County, not for recognition, but because this place is home," Weatherly said in his announcement. "And now … it's time for what's next." Weatherly was named Richmond police chief by then-Mayor-elect Ron Oler on Nov. 16, 2023, after working with the Wayne County Sheriff's Department for 22 years. At the time of his departure from the department, where he had spent his entire law enforcement career up to that point, Weatherly was the supervisor of detectives and of the investigations division. "Come hear about my vision for Wayne County, ask questions and connect with those who care deeply about public safety and our community," he said about his upcoming campaign launch. "After all, we're not just running a campaign — we're building a team to serve you." Retter is in his second term and is ineligible to run again, according to Indiana election laws. Weatherly's campaign website and Facebook page do not indicate a party affiliation. A phone call requesting more information Wednesday was not immediately returned. Evan Weaver is a news and sports reporter at The Palladium-Item. Contact him on X (@evan_weaver7) or email at eweaver@ This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Richmond Police Chief Weatherly announces bid for Wayne County sheriff
USA Today
04-04-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
'My home is gone': Battered residents sift through rubble after violent tornado event
'My home is gone': Battered residents sift through rubble after violent tornado event SELMER, Tenn. — Stacy Thompson pulled Polaroid pictures from the debris pile that was once her home. She sifted through the rubble, warped landscape of shrapnel and debris, and picked the pictures out of the clay mud. The tornado − an EF-3 with 160 mph winds − had taken the house, which had been perched in downtown Selmer, a community of 4,500 people in West Tennessee's McNairy County. The house had belonged to her mother, Lola Weatherly, and was one of at least a dozen homes demolished by the storm. As of Thursday morning, at least four people were confirmed dead across Tennessee, with some residents still missing. It was the second time in two years that a tornado devastated a tight-knit community in McNairy County, killing nine people. Later Thursday afternoon, Thompson found her mother's pictures, one by one — children and grandchildren at play, posing at family events, smirking mischievously at the camera. "We can lose some photos," Thompson said through tears. "I don't have to have a picture. At least she's here." 'Baby, my house is gone. My home is gone' The debris pile hardly resembled what was once a home. But Weatherly was − by scant miracle − not there during the storm. Thompson described her as a staunchly independent woman who "really did not want to go to her brother's house for the storm." Thompson was able to convince Weatherly to go. "She likes living by herself, you know," Thompson said. "But I told her she could have been one of those that didn't make it." Weatherly is a bustling regular presence in town. She was the previous owner of the town-favorite Rockabilly Cafe for nearly 12 years and now works for the local Retro Dawgs restaurant. "Everybody knows my mama," Thompson said. "Everybody loves her." 'Historic' flooding threaten US states: See the maps Thompson described the moment she heard the tornado hit her mother's neighborhood. "I just called and called," she said. "I got a hold of her, and she was just screaming. Just screaming, 'Baby, my house is gone. My home is gone.'" Thompson paused to compose herself. "I said, 'Mama, we can replace that stuff. But I cannot replace you.'" At that moment, a volunteer worker came over with a pink, water-logged Bible. "That's Mama's!" Thompson said, flipping through the sticking, but intact, pages. "I gave this to her for Mother's Day." The front page of the Bible contained a single sentence scrawled in Lola's handwriting: "My children are my life!" 'It threw me up in it. I went flying' Further down the hill, Hosea Cabrera stood clutching his side and surveying the muddy streak of land that was once the trailer he shared with his girlfriend, Jesse Furman. Cabrera said he lived in the area for about eight years after moving from California. The storm, Cabrera said, was the "worst he's ever seen." "It woke me up, and then it hit the trailer," he explained. "It threw me up in it. I went flying. Then it slammed me into the ground." Furman said she was trying to hold onto Cabrera when the tornado struck the trailer with "one hand on the bed frame, and another on his ankle" before it flung him away. Cabrera said he flew about 50 feet in the air before plummeting to the ground. "It just whistled," he added. "It was so loud." The two found each other in the dark, barefoot, and surrounded by destruction. States impacted by hurricanes: List shows 2025 hurricane risk by state, according to new forecast. "Within minutes, the whole trailer just came apart," Furman said. "I woke up on the ground, covered in a wet blanket." Cabrera had blood splattered across his shirt among the mud stains. He lifted his shirt to reveal a row of staples across his abdomen, which he got at the hospital. He said the injury hurts, but that exhaustion is what bothers him. "I can't sleep," he admitted. "I've only had 20 minutes of sleep today. Every time I close my eyes, I hear the tornado." Still, Cabrera said they were the lucky ones. "It could've been a lot worse," he noted, glancing toward the wreckage of an imploded trailer nearby.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Tennessee residents sift through rubble after devastating tornado. 'My home is gone'
SELMER, Tennessee — She pulled Polaroid pictures from the debris pile that was once her home. Stacy Thompson sifted through the rubble in this flat, warped landscape of schrapnel and debris. She picked the pictures out of the clay mud. The tornado had taken the house, which just a day before had been perched on the hill between West Cherry and Cypress avenues in downtown Selmer, a community of 4,500 people here in West Tennessee's McNairy County. The house had belonged to her mother, Lola Weatherly. It was one of at least a dozen homes completely demolished by the storm. As of Thursday morning, at least four people were confirmed dead across Tennessee, with some residents still missing. It was the second time in two years a tornado devastated a tight-knit community here in McNairy County. Nearly two years to the day, a twister tore through areas near Bethel Springs and Adamsville, leaving nine people dead. On Thursday afternoon, Thompson found her mother's pictures, one by one. Children and grandchildren at play, posing at family events, smirking mischievously at the camera. What to know: Trump approved federal assistance for Tennessee. What to know about FEMA aid Live updates: Tornado watch issued as flooding concerns remain in Nashville "We can lose some photos," Thompson said through tears. "I don't have to have a picture. At least she's here." The debris pile hardly resembled what was once a home. But Weatherly was − by scant miracle − not there during the storm. Thompson described her as a staunchly independent woman who "really did not want to go to her brother's house for the storm." Thompson was able to convince Weatherly to go. "She likes living by herself, you know," Thompson said. "But I told her she could have been one of those that didn't make it." Weatherly is a bustling regular presence in town. She was the previous owner of the town-favorite Rockabilly Cafe for nearly 12 years and now works for the local Retro Dawgs Restaurant. "Everybody knows my Mama," Thompson said. "Everybody loves her." Thompson described the moment she heard the tornado had hit her mother's neighborhood. "I just called and called," she said. "I got ahold of her and she was just screaming. Just screaming, 'Baby, my house is gone. My home is gone.'" Thompson paused to compose herself. "I said Mama, we can replace that stuff. But I cannot replace you." At that very moment, a volunteer worker came over with a pink, water-logged Bible. Severe weather: Soggy Middle Tennessee regroups after stormy night, braces for more flooding "That's Mama's!" Thompson said, flipping through the sticking, but intact, pages. "I gave this to her for Mother's Day." The front page of the Bible? A single sentence scrawled in Lola's handwriting: "My children are my life!" Further down the hill, Hosea Cabrera stood clutching his side and surveying the muddy streak of land that was once the trailer he shared with his girlfriend, Jesse Furman. Cabrera said he lived in the area for about eight years after moving from California. This storm was the "worst he's ever seen." "It woke me up, and then it hit the trailer," he said. "It threw me up in it. I went flying. Then it slammed me into the ground." Furman said she was trying to hold onto Cabrera when the tornado struck the trailer with "one hand on the bed frame, and another on his ankle" before it flung him away. Cabrera said he flew about 50 feet in the air before plummeting to the ground. "It just whistled," he said. "It was so loud." The two found each other in the dark, barefoot, and surrounded by destruction. "Within minutes, the whole trailer just came apart," Furman said. "I woke up on the ground, covered in a wet blanket." Cabrera had blood splattered across his shirt among the mud stains. He lifted his shirt to reveal a row of staples across his abdomen, which he got at the hospital. He said it hurts, but what was really bothering him was the exhaustion. "I can't sleep," he said. "I've only had 20 minutes of sleep today. Every time I close my eyes, I hear the tornado." Still, he said, they were the lucky ones. "It could've been a lot worse," he said, glancing toward the wreckage of an imploded trailer nearby. The man in that trailer died, Cabrera said. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Selmer, tornado: Damage leaves devastation in rural Tennessee
