Southeast
FEMA kicks hurricane survivors out of temporary housing into snowstorm and freezing temperatures
Residents of Western North Carolina are confused about the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s role in helping locals with disaster recovery after Hurricane Helene.
Locals are especially confused as FEMA plans to end temporary housing assistance for about 2,000 North Carolina residents on Saturday — during a snowstorm, when temperatures across the Appalachian Mountain region are expected to be below 20 degrees.
The housing program was initially supposed to end on Friday, but FEMA pushed the deadline back to Saturday.
“I’m actually talking to several people that are losing the FEMA vouchers,” Ryan McClymonds, founder of volunteer group Operation Boots on the Ground in WNC and Eastern Tennessee, told Fox News Digital on Friday. “They’re terrified that they’re going to have nowhere to stay for their families after today. But we did find out last night pretty late … that FEMA is extending it a whole whopping 24 hours.”
TWO HURRICANE HELENE VICTIMS, A FAMILY OF FOUR AND A VIETNAM VETERAN GIFTED CAMPERS ON CHRISTMAS DAY
Married couple Victoria and Jeff stay on a street with their dog with a sign reading “Need help, lost everything in the flood,” after Hurricane Helene destroyed their motorhome about a month earlier in Asheville, North Carolina, on October 29, 2024. (Photo by YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images)
FEMA told Fox News Digital that its Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program is providing hotel rooms to thousands of Hurricane Helene survivors in WNC.
On Jan. 3, FEMA began notifying some families checked into hotel or motel rooms that they are no longer eligible for the program due to one of the following reasons: an inspection indicated their home is now habitable, they declined an inspection or FEMA has been unable to contact them to update their housing needs.
About 3,600 households will remain eligible to continue staying in hotel or motel rooms sponsored by FEMA past Saturday — up from the 2,100 eligible households reported by local news outlet WLOS on Thursday.
AMERICANS SPENDING THANKSGIVING IN TENTS AS HEAT, ELECTRICITY, FOOD STILL HARD TO FIND
A section of Swannanoa, North Carolina, destroyed by Hurricane Helene is coated in snow on Jan. 10, 2025. (Steve Antle)
Approximately 2,000 households will still be expected to move out of their hotel rooms on Saturday. Continued eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis. When eligibility ends, FEMA notifies survivors approximately seven days prior to their checkout date.
The agency is also closing disaster recovery centers in the area until Monday — “due to winter weather.”
“This is unfair and arguably criminal.”
“Biden and Mayorkas bankrupted FEMA to pay for illegal immigrant housing, and now American citizens who lost their homes in Hurricane Helene are essentially being told to screw,” Trump spokeswoman and incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital. “This is unfair and arguably criminal. The good news is: President Trump will be back very soon to put Americans first again.”
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein “and state emergency officials continue to urge FEMA to grant an additional extension so western North Carolinians have a safe and warm shelter to ride out this storm,” communications director Kate Frauenfelder told Fox News Digital in a Friday statement.
HURRICANE HELENE FORCES NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS TO SLEEP IN TENTS WHERE HOMES ONCE STOOD
FEMA said it has provided shelter to 13,000 families displaced by Helene since late September 2024, when the storm made landfall. There are currently 5,600 households currently checked into hotels, the agency told Fox News Digital.
“We are told to expect power outages and possibly water outages. Yeah, I’m not thrilled about that.”
“We got this notification on our phone, I think it was yesterday … which was the severe weather notification,” Swannanoa-area resident Asha Wild told Fox News Digital. “We are told to expect power outages and possibly water outages. Yeah, I’m not thrilled about that. And in the cold.”
Swannanoa residents walk through devastating flood damage from the Swannanoa River in western North Carolina on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (Travis Long/The News & Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Wild lost her house to nine feet of flooding when Helene destroyed areas of her hometown and dozens of others in the mountains, leaving 104 dead in North Carolina alone.
Power grids and other critical infrastructure are still very fragile in some areas after Helene, and residents are concerned that they could again be left without power, water, gas and even food. Volunteers in Western North Carolina and across the state have been volunteering in affected areas for months. Generous donors across the country have paid for and delivered campers to those who need housing and storage.
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A store in Swannanoa, North Carolina, destroyed by Hurricane Helene is coated in snow on Jan. 10, 2025. (Steve Antle)
Long lines of vehicles can be seen lining up to get propane and other necessities from various donation drives in the area.
PUPPIES RESCUED FROM HURRICANE HELENE TO BE REHOMED WITH MILITARY MEMBERS, FIRST RESPONDERS
WATCH: Volunteers in North Carolina donate propane to those impacted by Helene
Zach Bumgarner, vice president of Bumgarner Oil, told Fox News Digital that his company has “given away 22,000 gallons of product since the storm hit.” They have hosted six propane drives since late September, allowing people to bring empty propane cylinders to designated locations, where his company fills them up for free.
“You do have people in tents and you do have temporary shelters and that kind of thing. And then you throw really cold temperatures on top of it, and it does make for a dangerous situation,” Bumgarner said. “So, hopefully what we’re doing is helping kind of bridge some of those gaps a little bit and maybe keep somebody warm. That’s really what we’re trying to do.”
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WATCH: Drivers line up for propane
Wild said she asked her friend, who works at a local grocery store she’s been going to for 18 years, how things were going.
“He said, ‘Yeah, people are kind of losing their minds.’ And I could tell it was cleaned out,” Wild said.
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Mekenzie Craig brushes mud off a photo from her wedding that survived the mudslide that killed her in-laws on Sept. 27. (Adam Eugene Willis for Fox News Digital)
Steve Antle, a retired Asheville police officer who has been in contact with Fox News Digital since the day after Hurricane Helene destroyed parts of WNC, said some areas are recovering well while others remain “frozen in time.” Even wealthy neighborhoods still have piles of debris and trees down, he said.
Antle has partnered with others in and outside his community to buy and deliver thousands of dollars worth of critical supplies across his hometown of Fairview and surrounding towns since immediately after the hurricane.
HURRICANE EFFECTS POSE ‘TREMENDOUS’ HEALTH HAZARDS FOR AMERICANS, DOCTOR WARNS
An aerial view of destroyed and damaged buildings in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene flooding on Oct. 8 in Bat Cave, N.C. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Some locals are still living in tents or campers, mostly because they do not want to leave their property. Others are still without heat and power, he said.
“I have given up trying to figure out anything about how this administration and FEMA operate.”
“I don’t know what goes into their thinking,” Antle said of the agency. “You know, I want to think that it’s government incompetence because that’s the better alternative. … And I hate to think that.”
McClymonds, of Operation Boots on the Ground, became emotional when describing the people he has been helping since September.
A drone view shows damage following the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Asheville, N.C., on Sept. 29. (Reuters/Marco Bello)
“Don’t forget about them,” he said. “I saw a lot while I was in the military. And coming out here and seeing the lack of response and the lack of help is so heartbreaking. I’ve prayed with I don’t know how many people. I’ve heard and held so many family members. They have lost a whole lot and work hand-in-hand with family members that have lost their loved ones due to the storm. And they’re tired. And they need help.”
FEMA said it is important for storm survivors to keep in touch with FEMA and provide regular status updates. Those who have questions regarding eligibility should contact the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362.
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Southeast
Louisiana manhunt continues as dangerous inmate charged with attempted murder remains on the run
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Louisiana authorities are continuing to search for the last of three inmates who broke through a deteriorating wall on Wednesday and escaped a jail about 130 miles northwest of New Orleans.
The three inmates, identified as Keith Eli, 24, of Opelousas; Johnathan Jevon Joseph, 24, of Opelousas; and Joseph Allen Harrington, 26, of Melville, allegedly used sheets and other items to scale an outer wall, drop onto the roof of the first floor and lower themselves to the ground, according to a statement from the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Harrington killed himself with a hunting rifle Thursday after a standoff with police at a home in Port Barre, The Associated Press reported.
Prior to his escape, St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office records show, he was charged with nine felonies, including home invasion and aggravated assault with a firearm.
Keith Eli, left; Johnathan Jevon Joseph, center; and Joseph Allen Harrington, inmates who escaped from a Louisiana prison. (St. Landry Parish Sheriff via Facebook)
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Police nabbed the second escapee, Joseph, the next day after a foot chase.
Sheriff’s officials said a tip led deputies to a home where he was hiding out, according to the report. He surrendered after fleeing to a nearby storage shed.
Joseph, also a convicted felon, was previously charged with principal first-degree rape, along with drug and gun offenses.
The inmates escaped St. Landry Parish Jail Wednesday in Louisiana. (Google Maps)
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The third missing inmate, Eli, remains missing and was charged with attempted second-degree murder.
“We would prefer that he surrender himself peaceably, but we will not rest until he is captured,” St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz wrote in a statement obtained by the AP.
In May, 10 prisoners escaped a minimum-custody New Orleans jail after removing a toilet from a wall inside a cell and crawling through it.
Video cameras in the prison captured the brazen escape, with footage showing the group scaling a fence, using blankets to protect themselves from barbed wire and running across an interstate to a nearby neighborhood where they changed clothes.
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Inmates wrote messages, including, “To Easy LOL” and “WE INNOCENT,” among others, near the hole they used to flee the jail.
The last remaining fugitive, a four-time convicted killer, was arrested five months after the escape after a standoff with authorities in Atlanta.
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Three jail employees have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, Fox News Digital previously reported.
An internal investigation has been initiated, and the jail supervisory staff will be providing a comprehensive report, according to Guidroz.
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Southeast
Disgraced teacher accused of using Google Docs to groom underage student before alleged sex crimes
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A Palm Beach County, Florida, science teacher is behind bars after investigators say he used a shared Google Doc to secretly communicate with a student before engaging in sexual acts with her at school and inside his apartment, according to an arrest affidavit.
Elias Gordon Farley, 26, a former teacher at Donna Klein Jewish Academy in Boca Raton, was arrested after the student reported the alleged abuse on Nov. 18.
The teen told detectives the interactions began as casual conversations during the previous school year, but over the summer, Farley allegedly created a shared Google Doc in which the two wrote messages back and forth.
Investigators said the file later contained explicit entries describing sexual activity and planning when they would meet privately.
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Elias Gordon Farley, a former teacher at the Donna Klein Jewish Academy in Boca Raton, is facing felony charges after police say he engaged in a months-long sexual relationship with a student. (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office)
According to the affidavit, the student said the relationship became physical in mid-September inside Farley’s office, where he touched her beneath her clothing. She told detectives the encounters continued for weeks in both his office and a classroom.
By late September and into October, she said the pair were engaging in sexual acts, including oral sex and, at one point, intercourse inside a classroom on campus.
The student also described visiting Farley’s apartment twice in early November after recognizing details he had mentioned about its location and layout. She told deputies that several sexual encounters occurred during those visits.
NEBRASKA TEACHER ALLEGEDLY OFFERED TO ‘SHARE’ BOYFRIEND WITH STUDENT IN SEX TRAFFICKING CASE
A teacher was accused of using Google Docs to talk to an underage student before sexual encounters. (Google Maps)
Detectives later executed a search warrant and said they found bedding, condom wrappers and furniture matching her description. Farley’s roommate confirmed he had not been home on the dates the teen said she visited.
School surveillance video reviewed by deputies also appeared to support her account, showing Farley and the student entering his office together on Nov. 7 and later entering a classroom for about an hour.
The situation came to light after the student confided in an art teacher on Nov. 14 and showed her bruises and bite marks she said came from Farley. Administrators were informed the next day, suspended Farley immediately and reported the matter to child welfare authorities.
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A former science teacher at Donna Klein Jewish Academy in Palm Beach County was arrested after allegations of an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. (iStock)
Farley refused to speak with detectives after being read his Miranda rights, according to the affidavit.
Farley was booked into the Palm Beach County Main Detention Center Dec. 4 and is being held on $500,000 bond, jail records show. He faces charges of unlawful sexual activity with a minor and offense against a student by an authority figure.
In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, Donna Klein Jewish Academy said it is cooperating fully with the investigation and called the situation “a difficult time for all of us at Donna Klein.”
TEACHER PLEADS GUILTY TO SEXUALLY ABUSING 15-YEAR-OLD STUDENT WEEKS AFTER GIVING BIRTH: REPORT
“We are approaching this serious situation with the utmost care, keeping the well-being of our students, faculty and families at the forefront,” a spokesperson said.
The school said it is working closely with families, teachers and staff to ensure they have the support they need, adding that its priority is maintaining “a safe, compassionate and educational environment for all.”
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The spokesperson said no additional details would be released “out of respect for the privacy of our community” but that Farley is no longer employed at the school.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office at 561-688-3000.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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Two teen boys in Florida are accused of fatally shooting a 14-year-old girl and setting her on fire along a wooded walking trail last week in what authorities are calling a “horrific” killing.
Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson told reporters Thursday that the body has been identified as Danika Troy. He said Danika’s mother reported her as a runaway on Monday.
“Unbeknownst to the mother, Danika was murdered the previous night,” Johnson said.
A passerby discovered Danika’s body along a wooded area off Kimberly Road in Pace, a town about 16 miles northeast of Pensacola, and called 911, Johnson said.
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Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson told reporters that the suspects were supposedly friends with the victim from school. He said investigators were still working to determine a motive. (Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office)
Investigators quickly identified the suspects as 14-year-old Kimahri Blevins and 16-year-old Gabriel Williams and took them into custody.
“This is where it gets really horrific,” Johnson said.
Kimahri Blevins, 14, is facing premeditated first-degree murder charges. Authorities are seeking to charge him as an adult. (Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office)
Williams allegedly stole his mother’s handgun and shot Danika.
“It’s bad enough you kill a 14-year-old. You’re 14. You’re 16,” Johnson said. “Shoot her multiple times, and then they set her on fire.”
Gabriel Williams, 16, is facing premeditated first-degree murder charges. Authorities are seeking to charge him as an adult. (Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office)
Johnson said investigators are still working to determine a motive.
“They have been interviewed, but the motive that they’re giving doesn’t fit the forensics or any facts of the case, so we don’t have a legit motive,” he told reporters.
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Blevins and Williams supposedly knew the victim from school, according to Johnson. He believed the two teens have had previous “run-ins” with law enforcement, though he could not immediately say if they had earlier arrests.
Blevins and Williams are being held at the Department of Juvenile Justice on premeditated first-degree murder charges.
“You don’t want to go out and see a burnt child with bullet holes,” Johnson said. “That’s not something you sign up for.”
Johnson said no parents have been charged at this time, though investigators are “looking into it.”
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The sheriff’s office is working with the State Attorney to charge both teens as adults.
“If you do an adult crime, you gotta do adult time,” Johnson said.
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