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Southeast met with dangerous flooding while Northeast braces for snowstorms

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Southeast met with dangerous flooding while Northeast braces for snowstorms


The Southeastern part of the U.S. faced heavy rains and dangerous flooding on Saturday, as much of the East was hit by renewed harsh and soggy weather.

A man was found dead in floodwaters in Clay County, Kentucky, according to WKYT-TV.

Cars and buildings in Kentucky were submerged in water, while mudslides blocked roads in Virginia. The two states, along with Tennessee and Arkansas, were under flood warnings.

The Northeast was also forecast to receive snowstorms over the weekend, and the Mississippi Valley is facing a threat of tornadoes.

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HIKERS ON TALLEST MOUNTAIN IN NORTHEAST RESCUED FROM WHITEOUT SNOWSTORM AT 5,000 FEET

A partially submerged car outside of Bowling Green, Kentucky, on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP)

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey on Saturday issued a state of emergency in 10 southern counties in response to heavy rains and flooding.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear preemptively declared a state of emergency, as his state was forecast to be met with flash flooding into Sunday. Flash flooding impacted some roads in Bowling Green, and parts of western Kentucky could face up to eight inches of rain.

“We want to specifically put assets in places that flood and have flooded in the past,” Beshear said on social media.

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Beshear later posted an update to notify residents about areas in danger of flooding, including Jackson County. He also said State Police officers were performing wellness checks and that shelters were opening in Pike County and Jenny Wiley State Resort Park in Prestonsburg.

The Kentucky governor said late Saturday that he had made a request to the White House for an emergency disaster declaration and federal funds for impacted areas.

The state’s River Medical Center in the city of Jackson said it closed its emergency department and was transferring all patients to two other hospitals in the region. The hospital said it would re-evaluate conditions Sunday morning to determine when it can safely reopen. The north fork of the Kentucky River was predicted to crest nearly 14 feet above flood stage on Sunday afternoon, the National Weather Service said.

A runner contends with snow while circling Washington Park as a winter storm sweeps over Colorado’s Front Range communities Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, in Denver. (AP)

The Simpson County Office of Emergency Management in Kentucky said several rescues were made from stalled-out vehicles in floodwaters. The office urged people to stay home.

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There was possible flash flooding for the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio valleys, the weather service said. Flash flood warnings were issued in Tennessee for much of the middle of the state.

The weather service described the predicted rain as a “major, potentially historic, flash flood event.”

Up north, heavy snow was expected for much of New England before it transitions to sleet, making travel nearly impossible. Upstate New York and portions of northern New England are expected to be hit hardest, with possibly a foot or more.

The weather service said ice accumulations up to a quarter inch are forecast for some areas, which makes driving conditions dangerous. It also noted that heavy icing in some areas may lead to downed trees and power outages.

Snow and arctic temperatures impacted much of the Midwest and Upper Plains, blanketing roads in eastern Nebraska, northern Iowa and much of Wisconsin. Winter weather advisories were issued for parts of the three states, as well as Michigan, with up to 4 inches of snow predicted throughout Iowa, southern Wisconsin and most of Michigan by Sunday evening.

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SECRETARY DUFFY TOURS HELENE DAMAGE, SAYS RESIDENTS FEEL ‘FORGOTTEN’ AFTER HISTORIC STORM

A vehicle is dug out of the mud after a storm Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, in Sierra Madre, California. (AP)

The U.S. was expected to face its 10th and coldest polar vortex stretching event this season, with the northern Rockies and northern Plains set to be hit first.

Denver opened shelters for those living on the streets, as temperatures were expected to drop to as low as 14 degrees over the weekend. An inch of snow was reportedly falling every hour just north of Denver.

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The Upper Plains may also feel extreme cold over the next few days, with wind chills ranging from minus 30 degrees to as low as minus 60 in parts of western Montana, North Dakota, northern South Dakota and western Minnesota.

In Southern California, dry weather returned after the strongest storm of the year, although the risk of rock and mudslides on wildfire-scarred hillsides remains, as dangerous slides can happen even after rain stops, particularly in areas where vegetation that helps keep soil anchored has burned away.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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Oklahoma

Oklahoma County commissioners weigh state audit of jail trust amid detention center woes

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Oklahoma County commissioners weigh state audit of jail trust amid detention center woes


An investigative audit into the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority; it’s something the Oklahoma County Board of Commissioners is considering.

Fox 25 has been covering issues with the Oklahoma County Detention Center for years, from failed inspections to staffing issues and missed paychecks.

The issues had members of the Jail Trust recommending last June they undergo a performance review. Now, in a letter recently issued, county commissioners are asking State Auditor Cindy Byrd to look into the county Criminal Justice Authority, also known as the jail trust. But whether it’s tied to those ongoing issues remains unclear.

“I really wouldn’t know. I wouldn’t know where to begin with that. I just wouldn’t even want to speculate, honestly,” said Commissioner Myles Davidson.

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Commissioner Davidson told FOX 25 if the audit were to happen, it wouldn’t be cheap.

“To go into a budget that we’re extremely tight on, and start adding hundreds of thousands of dollars, and time, these audits don’t happen overnight. I don’t know that we would have an answer to any question we could possibly ask before the budgetary cycle is over,” said Davidson.

Davidson said that cycle ends June 1. Instead, he’s suggesting they look into existing audits to see if there’s any useful information there first.

“I would simply say that we need to look at the audits that have been submitted already to the state auditor that the jail trust has already paid for, and then if we have questions about those, we need to bring in that auditing agency and question them. We do have the authority to do that,” Davidsons said.

However, Davidson isn’t sure they have the authority to request this audit.

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“When it comes to statute, we have to have it lined out, expressly in statute that we have this authority, and every county commissioner across the state has to abide by that,” he said.

Davidson said they’ll be meeting Monday to find out whether or not they do have the authority to request this audit. He told FOX 25 the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s office reached out to folks with Cindy Byrd’s office and was told the audit would cost $100,000, adding that she’s so swamped that she can’t do it this calendar year.

FOX 25 also reached out to Jason Lowe’s office but they said they have no comment.



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South-Carolina

Biden visits Columbia, thanks SC Democrats for 2020 primary support

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Biden visits Columbia, thanks SC Democrats for 2020 primary support


COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Former President Joe Biden spoke Friday at the Columbia Art Museum in downtown Columbia at an event hosted by the South Carolina Democratic Party to honor his more than 50 years with the party and to mark his 2020 South Carolina Democratic primary victory.

Biden entered the South Carolina primary having lost Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. His win in the state gave his campaign momentum heading into the rest of the primary calendar.

“People in this room brought my campaign back from the brink — a lot of pundits, people in the press had given up on me,” Biden said.

Biden said South Carolina’s support was central to his path to the presidency.

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“If I could just get to South Carolina I could win the nomination, and I knew if I won the nomination I’d win the presidency because I knew what Bill Clinton and Barack Obama knew before me — South Carolina picks presidents,” Biden said.

South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain said Biden’s performance in the state went beyond a primary win.

“Biden didn’t just win, he delivered,” Spain said.

Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., whose endorsement of Biden ahead of the 2020 primary was a key moment in the campaign, attended the event. Clyburn praised Biden’s record of public service.

“There is no American ever who has demonstrated through his service more substance — and I might add sustenance — than Joseph Robinette Biden,” Clyburn said.

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Biden also directed remarks at the current Trump administration and called on Democrats to turn out for November’s midterm elections to help flip the House or Senate.

“There’s no time to give up — it’s time to get up, get up, get up, continue to fight,” Biden said.

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Tennessee

Polk County library chair questions constitutionality of Tennessee book challenge bill

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Polk County library chair questions constitutionality of Tennessee book challenge bill


More Tennesseans could soon be able to request library books be removed under a bill making its way through the General Assembly.

The new piece of legislation aims to expand an existing law that lets libraries choose who can submit requests for review of a book.

Friday we spoke with the chairman of the Polk County Library Board, who says he worries this legislation infringes upon First Amendment rights.

“There are groups that I feel that can take advantage of this process,” Timothy Woody says.

Chairman of the Polk County Library Board Timothy Woody says while this bill wouldn’t drastically change how Polk County operates, he’s concerned about how it could be used in other parts of Tennessee.

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“Libraries all across the state of Tennessee, for lack of better terms, are being attacked in some areas. Groups are coming into libraries, and they’re trying to get books banned. They’re pushing these reconsideration forms over and over and over and trying to get books taken out of libraries.”

According to the American Library Association, book challenges reached record highs nationwide in 2022 and 2023 with Tennessee among the states reporting some of the highest numbers in recent years.

Teen reads book on floor of library. Getty Images.

Teen reads book on floor of library. Getty Images.

In 2025, the University of Maryland says the top reasons for banning books had to do with content that was sexually explicit or inappropriate for certain age groups.

But a bill making it’s way through the Tennessee General Assembly would let any resident in any county to ask a library to “withdraw, move, or reclassify an item.”

That request would go before the library board, which then has 90 days to respond.

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In Polk County, Woody says they currently operate under a collection development policy that lays out exactly how materials are selected and how they’re challenged.

Anyone requesting a review must fill out a reconsideration form detailing their concerns.

Woody says strong policies like Polk County’s are what protect libraries from outside pressure.

Image: WTVC

“Your library boards have to be open minded and non biased when it comes to any type of views…”

This issue is sparking concern on social media.

One user commenting on our Facebook post wrote, “If you don’t like a book, don’t read it.” Another called the proposal “a slippery slope.”

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Woody says he understands those concerns.

“It is an infringement on our First Amendment rights.”

Although censorship is considered a First Amendment violation, some limitations are constitutionally permissible. According to Middle Tennessee State University, a court of law may take community standards into account when deciding whether materials are obscene and thus subject to censorship.



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