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After Hurricane Helene, Virginia couple welcomes new home built by volunteers

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After Hurricane Helene, Virginia couple welcomes new home built by volunteers

A Virginia elderly couple who nearly died during Hurricane Helene had their home rebuilt by a group of volunteers and nonprofit organizations, making it one of many homes set to be rebuilt for storm victims.

Carl and Linda McMurray’s new home, which was built by the Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), was celebrated Friday in the company of local leaders during a ribbon-cutting ceremony, including Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va. 

The overall project to rebuild victims’ homes is expected to cost about $1.4 million. Funding comes from a mix of public and private sources, including Washington County, the Town of Damascus, the United Way, individual donors and private foundations.

FAMILY THAT LOST 11 IN HURRICANE HELENE MUDSLIDES SAYS COMMUNITY SACRIFICED ‘LIFE AND LIMB’ TO SAVE EACH OTHER

Gov. Glenn Youngkin, left, joins the couple for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new home after it was destroyed in Hurricane Helene. (Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Office)

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Last October, when floodwaters ripped the McMurray home apart, the couple were forced to take shelter on the second floor and wear life jackets. The house began to collapse, and Carl was swept downstream by the heavy rainwater before eventually clinging to a tree for hours until he was spotted by a neighbor and rescued by helicopter nearly four hours later.

Linda, meanwhile, remained trapped alone on the darkened second floor of what remained of their house, using just the light from her watch to see and Afghan blankets to stay warm. 

“All night I kept praying, repeating the Lord’s prayer and the 23rd Psalm,” she said, according to a local news report.

She was rescued 16 hours later. The couple, married 57 years, believed the other had been lost to the flood until they were reunited.

“There are still so many families that need to have the exact same sense of opportunity and option and rebuilding that Linda and Carl have today,” Youngkin said during his speech. “There were heroes everywhere, and that was a moment when we needed heroes,” Youngkin added. “The number of water rescues was astounding, and that is something to say amen to.”

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“Neither knew if the other had survived, but when Linda finally walked into Carl’s hospital room, their prayers were answered,” Youngkin said.

PUPPIES RESCUED FROM HURRICANE HELENE TO BE REHOMED WITH MILITARY VETERANS

Residents of Dandridge, Tennessee, described the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene as “gut-wrenching.” One resident said the debris was so thick, she felt she could “walk on the water.” (Jill Cody)

MDS offered free labor and thousands of volunteer hours to build the McMurrays’ new home. Its Amish counterpart, Storm Aid, sent skilled workers weekly to assist onsite. Volunteers often rotate in for a week at a time, tackling multiple homes and offering expertise in everything from roofing to framing.

Each home costs about $130,000 to build, Youngkin’s office said. Homeowners are asked to contribute roughly 10% – between $11,000 and $12,000 – from their Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster assistance. The rest is covered by Trails to Recovery, a nonprofit organizing the rebuild. They pay for materials, coordinate trades like plumbing and electrical, and work directly with MDS to keep construction on schedule.

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A full-time MDS project manager stays onsite for weeks at a time to keep things moving.

TRUMP PRAISES ELON MUSK AS ‘PATRIOT, A BRILLIANT GUY, AND A FRIEND OF MINE’ AMID DOGE EXIT

Gov. Glenn Youngkin joins Hurricane Helene survivors for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of their new home. (Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Office)

Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm that struck the Gulf Coast in late September 2024, caused widespread devastation across southwest Virginia, particularly in Grayson, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe counties as well as the city of Galax.

The storm led to the closure of hundreds of roads and bridges, leaving many people isolated in their towns. Nearly 310,000 Virginians lost power and 3,700 farms were reportedly affected, resulting in more than $630 million in damages.

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After the devastation, Youngkin established the Office of Hurricane Helene Recovery and Rebuilding to coordinate state and federal recovery efforts. The office is led by Chief Transformation Officer Rob Ward.

Virginia has not received the $4.4 billion in federal funding requested by Youngkin in November for recovery from the disaster. In January, Vice President JD Vance traveled to Damascus, a town on the southwestern edge of the state that was one of the hardest-hit areas and criticized the previous administration’s response to the devastation.

“The local government’s working, the state government is working as hard as it can, the local communities and the nonprofits and the churches are working at breakneck speed, and yet you have the federal government out there, the biggest institution with the most money, that’s not doing its job. It just drives home how much better we can do,” Vance told Fox News Digital when asked about FEMA’s response to hurricane-damaged areas across the Southeast.

Fox News Digital’s Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.

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Florida college student who allegedly shipped 1,500 rounds of ammo to dorm had AR-15 under bed

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Florida college student who allegedly shipped 1,500 rounds of ammo to dorm had AR-15 under bed

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A Florida college student who allegedly ordered 1,500 rounds of ammunition to his dorm room also had a semi-automatic rifle under his bed, according to authorities.

Constantine Demetriades, a 21-year-old senior at Rollins College, was arrested by Winter Park police on Wednesday and charged with possession of a weapon on school property after the ammunition order was reported to police by the school’s assistant campus safety director, according to an arrest affidavit, WKMG reported.

After the purchase was flagged, the assistant safety director searched Demetriades’ dorm and allegedly discovered an unloaded AR-15 under his bed inside an unsecured black carrying case with one loaded magazine and five empty magazines, as well as a tactical vest, knives, a black security vest and ear protection.

FLORIDA OFFICER SHOT IN FACE DURING SERVICE CALL TIED TO MENTAL HEALTH DISPUTE; SUSPECT KILLED

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Constantine Demetriades, 21, was charged with possession of a weapon on school property. (Winter Park Police Department)

Demetriades, who said he likes to shoot as a hobby, told police he had the rifle on school property because he had recently returned from a Thanksgiving trip to New Jersey, where he said the guns were purchased and registered legally, according to the affidavit.

He said he did not have ill intentions and that he usually stores the firearm at a friend’s home off school property, the affidavit stated. He also said he only brought the gun to campus on one other occasion.

Constantine Demetriades said he did not have ill intentions. (Getty Images)

While Florida allows open carry, Rollins College bans all weapons on campus. Demetriades allegedly said he is aware that weapons are not allowed on campus and that his New Jersey concealed carry permit does not apply in Florida.

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The college said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital that he is banned from campus until the situation is resolved, adding that an internal investigation has been opened.

FLORIDA MAN ARRESTED IN WEALTHY BEACH TOWN OVER ALLEGED TIKTOK SCHOOL-SHOOTING THREAT

While Florida allows open carry, Rollins College bans all weapons on campus. (Getty Images)

“On Wednesday, the College received a report indicating a violation of our weapons policy,” Rollins College said in a statement. “After receiving this information, we immediately initiated an investigation.”

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“We quickly identified and contacted the student, who cooperated fully with College officials and local law enforcement as we investigated the matter further,” the statement continued. “The student was arrested and is not permitted to be on campus while the College proceeds with the student conduct process.”

The school said Demetriades was additionally charged with a violation of the college’s weapons policy, and will go through the on-campus conduct process.

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Marjorie Taylor Greene spars with ’60 Minutes’ host over ‘accusatory’ questions

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Marjorie Taylor Greene spars with ’60 Minutes’ host over ‘accusatory’ questions

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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., briefly sparred with “60 Minutes” host Lesley Stahl over what she claimed was “accusatory” behavior from the journalist.

Greene gave her first sit-down interview with Stahl since announcing her resignation from Congress last month. During the segment, Stahl and Greene spoke about the Georgia lawmaker’s apology for taking part in “toxic politics.”

“I would like to say humbly, I‘m sorry for taking part in the toxic politics,” Greene told CNN in November. “It’s very bad for our country, and it’s been something I’ve thought about a lot, especially since Charlie Kirk was assassinated, is that we, I’m only responsible for myself and my own words and actions, and I am committed, and I’ve been working on this a lot lately to put down the knives in politics.”

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE TO APPEAR ON ’60 MINUTES’ AHEAD OF EXIT FROM CONGRESS

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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., gave her first sit-down interview with “60 Minutes” since announcing her resignation. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“But you contributed to that,” Stahl asked Greene Sunday. “You. You, you were out there pounding, insulting people.”

Greene pushed back, claiming that Stahl had contributed to toxic politics herself.

“You’re accusatory, just like you did just then,” Greene said.

“I know you’re accusing me, but I’m smiling,” Stahl responded.

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“You’re accusing me,” Greene said. “But we don’t have to accuse one another.”

The two continued to go back and forth, with Greene repeatedly insisting that Stahl should also acknowledge her own contribution to toxic politics.

“I don’t insult people,” Stahl said.

TRUMP SAYS HE’D ‘LOVE TO SEE’ GREENE RETURN TO POLITICS DESPITE RECENT ATTACKS

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., previously apologized for her role in “toxic” politics. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

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“You just, you do in the way you question,” Greene said. “And you are, you’re accusing me right now.”

Fox News Digital reached out to CBS News for comment. 

Greene previously sat down with Stahl in April 2023, when the two had a fiery exchange over the congresswoman’s claim that Democrats are the “party of pedophiles.”

MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE SAYS SHE HOPES TO ‘MAKE UP’ WITH TRUMP AMID ONGOING FEUD

“They are not pedophiles. Why would you say that?” Stahl exclaimed.

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“Democrats support — even Joe Biden, the president himself — supports children being sexualized and having transgender surgeries. Sexualizing children is what pedophiles do to children,” Greene said.

“Wow,” Stahl reacted.

“60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl had a tense exchange with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., over her claim that Democrats were the “party of pedophiles” during an April 2023 interview. (Screenshots/CBS News)

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Greene shocked the political landscape last month when she revealed she would leave Congress Jan. 5. Many believe her abrupt exit was the result of her soured relationship with President Donald Trump.

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Fox News’ Joseph Wulfsohn contributed to this report.

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FBI’s renewed push in DC pipe bomb case shows how fresh eyes can change a stalled investigation

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FBI’s renewed push in DC pipe bomb case shows how fresh eyes can change a stalled investigation

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Federal agents searching the Virginia home of Brian Cole Jr., accused of planting pipe bombs in Washington on Jan. 5, 2021, carried out a step-by-step operation this week that indicated investigators have re-energized a case that had seen little movement for years.

Cole was arrested in Woodbridge, Virginia, last week after federal investigators identified him as the suspect accused of planting the pipe bombs on Jan. 5, 2021, near the Capitol complex, the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). His arrest marked the first major break in a case that had been largely dormant for years.

Retired FBI Special Agent Jason Pack, who previously helped lead Evidence Response Teams, told Fox News Digital the search followed the standard sequence used in explosive investigations, beginning with hazard clearing before evidence work. He said the careful pace shows investigators treating the case as if it had just happened.

The operation began with the standard safety sweep used in federal explosives investigations.

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CNN’S JAKE TAPPER ISSUES CORRECTION AFTER CALLING DC PIPE BOMB SUSPECT A ‘WHITE MAN’

Brian J. Cole was arrested by the FBI for alleged involvement in the D.C. pipe bomb incident. (Department of Justice)

“Federal agents are following a deliberate and familiar sequence as the search of the Woodbridge residence continues,” Pack said. “The presence of explosive ordnance disposal technicians, bomb techs and specialized K-9 teams indicates that the first priority is safety.”

He explained that investigators must first clear the property of possible explosive hazards to protect personnel and preserve the scene before they can begin collecting evidence.

One of the clearest indications of the work underway came from the metal paint cans agents carried out of the home.

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FBI DIRECTOR SUGGESTS ‘SHEER INCOMPETENCE’ OR ‘NEGLIGENCE’ IN BIDEN ADMIN HANDLING OF PIPE BOMB CASE

The FBI is carrying out “court enforced activity” at a home in Woodbridge, Va., after authorities arrested a suspect who allegedly planted pipe bombs blocks from the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 5, 2021, sources told Fox News on Dec. 4, 2025. (WTTG)

Pack said metal paint cans are a preferred method for collecting and transporting suspected explosive material because they limit contamination and protect volatile samples. The cans also allow forensic laboratories to analyze residues, components and chemical signatures that might connect a device to a specific individual or technique.

Once the scene is declared safe, evidence teams can move inside the home.

FBI Evidence Response Team members, guided by a federal search warrant and its attachments, typically handle the next phase of the search and use those documents to determine what they are authorized to seize.

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CNN’S JAKE TAPPER CALLS DC PIPE BOMB SUSPECT ‘WHITE MAN’ SHORTLY BEFORE AIRING PHOTO OF ALLEGED BLACK CULPRIT

The FBI swarmed the home following the suspect’s arrest. (WTTG)

Those categories include explosive components or precursor chemicals; tools or materials used to construct destructive devices; electronic devices such as phones, hard drives and laptops; records, notes or digital communications that could show planning, motive or knowledge; and items that confirm identity, occupancy or control of the residence.

In this investigation, agents are looking for evidence that establishes intent, capability and any links to the explosive devices planted on Jan. 5, 2021.

Once the evidence is collected, it moves into the long analytical phase of the investigation.

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PIRRO CALLS SUSPECTED DC PIPE BOMBER ‘QUIET,’ REVEALS INSIGHT INTO HIS ‘LOW-KEY’ PERSONAL LIFE

Sketch of Brian Cole Jr.’s first federal court appearance in Washington, D.C. Friday, December 5, 2025. Cole is the lead suspect in the D.C. pipe incident. (Dana Verkouteren)

Any electronics seized will undergo digital forensics to recover communications, searches or location data that may reveal planning or coordination. Laboratories will also examine residues or components to determine whether they match the devices used at the Capitol complex, the RNC or the DNC.

Pack said the search in Woodbridge shows the FBI is treating the investigation as if it had just begun, which he said can “change the entire trajectory” of the case.

“I have been the fresh set of eyes on cold cases, and I worked them as if the crime happened that morning,” he said. “The initial investigators often do excellent work. A new perspective simply asks different questions and sometimes spots the detail that finally brings the guilty to justice.”

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FOX NEWS POLITICS NEWSLETTER: WHO IS BRIAN COLE, THE DC PIPE BOMB SUSPECT?

The suspect is seen walking outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters moments before placing one of two pipe bombs discovered near party offices in Washington, D.C. (FBI)

Pack said the U.S. Attorney’s Office is responsible for obtaining the warrants and court orders that move an investigation from suspicion to proof.

“When the immediate danger has passed, older cases often end up folded into the stack of files handled by overworked Assistant United States Attorneys who are already juggling emergencies of their own,” he said. “That can slow down warrants and subpoenas, not because anyone is dragging their feet, but because they are drowning in urgent matters.”

EVIDENCE AGAINST J6 PIPE BOMB SUSPECT WAS JUST ‘SITTING THERE’ FOR YEARS, DOJ SAYS

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The same pressures hit FBI agents, Pack said, as new threats emerge each day and older cases get pushed back while “investigators run to the sound of guns.”

“There are only 12,000 FBI agents in the world, and that small group is responsible for handling every threat that comes our way,” Pack said. “When leadership pours fresh resources back into a case, the whole machine turns forward again. Sunlight finds what shadows hide, and a second look often makes all the difference.”

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Cole had his first court appearance Friday after being arrested the day before and charged with transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce and with maliciously attempting to destroy property using explosive materials.

He has been speaking with investigators and reportedly admitted to planting the devices and expressing doubts about the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, a source close to the investigation told Fox News.

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