The Cleveland Daily Banner- Some roads were closed for a short amount of time, a rock slide occurred on a heavily traveled highway, and river levels
The Cleveland Daily Banner- Some roads were closed for a short amount of time, a rock slide occurred on a heavily traveled highway, and river levels rose dramatically. But, all in all, the local area survived the rains over the Christmas holiday rather well. Emergency Management Agency directors Troy Spence and Steve Lofty said it could have been much worse. They are watching closely the saturation in the ground as more rain is predicted for today. The Report states locally , Polk County was probably struck the hardest, and that is due to the rivers in the county. U.S. Highway 64 was impassible for a short amount of time Friday as crews worked at clearing up a rock slide. Both say that at least, as far as they have been told, there were no major injuries or deaths from the inclement weather. In the Southeast, 18 people have died from the storms, including one in Rhea County. The Associated Press reported that three others died in Maury County after their vehicle was submerged in high waters. The National Weather Service office out of Morristown said the next system of rain will move into the area today into tonight, which could lead to additional localized flooding as scatter showers and thunderstorms move across the region. Winds could possibly increase and a few thunderstorms may become strong or severe Monday afternoon, the NWS reports. “Be careful out there over the next few days,” Spence said. He added the local forecast and conditions can be accessed by texting CBCEMA to 888777. The Cleveland Daily Banner- Cleveland State Community College will implement this spring what it regards as its new signature event of the year, the Community First Awards and Gala, according to an announcement by Dr. Bill Seymour, CSCC president. While the Cleveland area has many organizations that have annual awards that recognize individuals affiliated with their organization, the Community First Awards is meant to honor individuals throughout the community, Seymour said. “The purpose of the Community First Awards is to recognize and honor leaders in the community who have exemplified the ideal of serving community first before self,” Seymour stressed. “This event will also be Cleveland State Foundation’s major fundraiser of the year.” Nominations will be sought in eight different categories: Arts, Business, Education, Public Service, Volunteer Service, Non-Profit Leadership, Healthcare and Philanthropy. The winners of each category will be announced approximately four weeks in advance of the gala. At the Gala, one of the eight honorees will be identified as the Outstanding Community First Person of the Year.
