SHELBYVILLE, Ky. — When Jeremy Harrell started Veteran’s Club four years ago, he wanted to make veterans like himself feel able, connected and understood.

However, the work he’s put in to help more than 2,300 veterans is now radiating out into the greater community.

"Let's get together. Let's formalize a plan. Let's go where people are hurting and let's do the most good that we can," he said.

After the tornadoes struck their home state the second week of December, members of the Veteran’s Club immediately began to organize. They started making phone calls, got together hundreds of thousands of dollars of supplies, found flat-bed trucks, and deployed a few hours away to the Mayfield, Kentucky area.

"This is really why we do what we do in these moments. It's not when things are okay. We kick in with things are not," said Harrell.

By handing out supplies, helping rebuild and being an ear to those who lost everything, it not only helped the victims of the storms, but it also helped the vets take advantage of their skills from the military.

"What it did for the veterans and the community to come alongside as it go, 'Wait a minute, maybe everything I learned in military, wasn't a negative. Wow. This was really cool, what we were able to do as a team!' We just felt like we were qualified to step in immediately," he said.

“Stepping in” is something Veteran’s Club has been doing since it began. After being told his physical and mental scars from serving in Iraq would prevent him from leading the life he wanted to, he started building a community that would prove them wrong.

"I'm just going to make sure that people know that that's not the case, that you can do anything you want to do with the proper amount of support and the determination," he said.

From equine therapy, to tiny homes for veterans without a roof over their head, to seeing a need for a female veteran-specific program. Harrell aims to be the light at the end of any long stretch of darkness others like him might find themselves in.

As we approach the new year, the organization has plans to continue to grow and to serve, both the veteran population and their neighbors in need. He encourages any veteran who may not have found their community to know that there is always a place for you in theirs.

"Find a group of people who are doing what you're passionate about and all these things that have been holding you back and all the lies that you've been told about what you can and can't do, they will fall away," said Harrell.

BREMEN, Ky. — A tornado victim took a moment to focus on his faith and help others find hope in the tragedy.

Jordan Baize doesn't like the spotlight, but his gift is playing the piano.

Late last week, his stage was shattered when his home was destroyed amid a tornado outbreak that's killed at least 88 people in several states.

"It's been awful," Baize said.

The rural town of Bremen, Kentucky, lost around a dozen people.

"It's so small, it's close-knit," Baize said. "I had friends that Saturday who were picking up clothes out of their fields to try to launder them to have something to change into."

Baize's family was not hurt.

"We came into the basement, I have a spare mattress in the basement and I covered the five of us up," Baize said.

As the family looked around to see what he could save, Baize decided to see if his piano still worked. His sister grabbed her phone and started recording.

His rendition of "There's Something About That Name" has been viewed thousands of times on social media.

"I believe that even in the midst of trying times, there is a peace that can be found," Baize said. "My faith is very important to me. It's soothing, calming, and I think we all could use a little bit of that this weekend."

His church in nearby Madisonville, Kentucky — Victory Church — is currently accepting donations for tornado relief for those who would like to help.

Jordan Baize uses piano to spread hope following tornado

This story was originally published by Alexandra Koehn on Scripps station WTVF in Nashville.

CLEVELAND — Barbara Fulker and James Gavin of Cleveland feel lucky to be alive. After a suspect van plowed into their home during a Cleveland police chase in July 2019, the couple is now left with $30,000 in repairs.

The senior couple told News 5 they live on a fixed income and couldn't afford homeowners insurance.

So far, the City of Cleveland has told them it's not responsible for helping with repair costs due to "sovereign immunity," which absolves the city of liability in situations involving emergency services like police, fire, or EMS.

To make matters worse, the couple said four months after the accident, the city issued them a citation, fine, and court hearing for the unfinished repairs.

Anthony Garcia

The couple said too often they're forced to use a narrow wooden ramp to get into their home.

“It was a van speeding, and they lost control of the van and ran into the house and the steps," Fulker said. “I was very scared and very shocked. I really couldn’t believe it.”

“I called several times, and I left so many messages, never got a callback, they won't help us."

“I told them we couldn’t afford to have this fixed, especially not in 30 days. We don’t have that kind of money. We still don’t have it.”

Fulker has now challenged the candidates for the vacant Ward 4 Cleveland city council seat to help them find a solution.

Candidate Deborah Gray told WEWS if she's elected, she'll propose legislation that could grant repair assistance to homeowners dealing with police chase-related property damage by amending what can be covered by the Cleveland Moral Claims Commission.

While candidate Erick Walker told WEWS if he is elected in November, he'll explore a city-based homeowners insurance assistance program for qualifying low-income families and seniors on a fixed income, which could help with these types of damage claims.

News 5 also reached out to the Cleveland Mayor's office about this case, and it responded immediately. The city said it'd contacted several city departments to see if anything could be done to help the couple repair their home.

Joe Pagonakis at WEWS first reported this story.

COWETA, Okla. — Late Sunday night, a possible tornado touched down in Coweta, Oklahoma, leaving behind damage throughout its path.

The tornado hit the city around 10:45 p.m. near Coweta High School.

Went back into our KJRH radar data and this shows the tornado approaching the Coweta area, going through Coweta, then the rotation decreased before 11p. #2News #OkWx pic.twitter.com/x3uLpVnX2m

— Brandon Wholey KJRH (@BrandonWholey) October 11, 2021

The storm reportedly damaged several homes near the high school, as well as the school itself. Reported damages include fallen tree limbs, fallen power lines, and debris found in yards across Coweta.

Emergency crews arrived in Coweta early Monday morning and are responding to the damage.

Coweta Public Schools also canceled in-person and virtual classes scheduled for the week to assess the damage done in the area.

2 News Oklahoma

The Phillips 66 gas station across the street from the school had damage to its roof after the storm rolled through. It was closed at the time the storm hit.

The City of Coweta confirms there are no injuries or fatalities that have been reported following the storms on Sunday night.

Power lines are still being repaired at this time.

Senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tulsa, Chuck Hodges, told the Associated Press that crews would go out sometime Monday to assess and see how many tornadoes struck.

Another city in Oklahoma, Anadarko, also saw buildings damaged, the news outlet reported.

Baseball-sized hail was also reported in Norman.

Oklahoma wasn't the only state rocked with severe storms on Sunday.

According to the AP, severe weather also hit parts of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas with heavy rains, lightning, and wind.

The AP reported that survey crews were heading out to the southwestern part of the state to see if tornadoes supposedly caused damage.

In Kansas City, the NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and Chiefs was delayed for an hour due to lightning.

Ryan Love at KJRH first reported this story.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. —

A teenager from North Carolina is showing progress after fighting COVID-19 for nearly 10 days, his family said.

Kaden Panico, 17, of Winston-Salem, was admitted to the ICU at Brenner Children's Hospital Wednesday. He was dehydrated and there was damage to his heart and kidneys upon his admission to the hospital.

Thursday marked his eighth day of fighting the virus.

Kaden Panico's mother, Lana Panico, said Thursday he was able to "finally speak a full sentence," after his body became weak and tired days prior.

Kaden was diagnosed with multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). According to the CDC, MIS-C is a condition where different body parts can become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes or gastrointestinal organs. Many children with MIS-C had the virus that causes COVID-19 or had been around someone with COVID-19.

"A lot of his organs are inflamed and working so very hard," Lana Panico said. "We are working hard to find the right combination of (medications) to help stabilize his heart so he can breathe at a safe pace again."

Lana Panico said she is worried about the lasting impacts on Kaden's heart.

"No one really knows too much right now," said Lana Panico.

Related video below: COVID-19 complications take Iowan teen from healthy to hospitalized

Kaden Panico's grandmother, Gerotha Burney, said the family wants to make sure that other teenagers know "this virus is real."

"So many of the teenagers think it can't happen to them," said Burney. "They just think they're not old enough for it. A teenager can get it just as easy as adults."

Kaden Panico is on the swim team and soccer team at Atkins High School. His future in sports is uncertain, his mother said.

"I dread the news that sports are finished for a while," Lana Panico said. "The likelihood of him playing is slim."

Burney said this is bothersome because "the family has no idea how he got it."

"The boy has worn a mask everywhere he went. He is not one to go out often. Even under these conditions, he still got it," Burney said.

Burney added that he goes to swim practice in the morning and goes to soccer practice in the afternoon.

"He practiced Monday and Tuesday and he came down with it on Thursday," Burney said. "One would think his body is strong enough to fight these germs off because of his working out all of the time. Obviously, it's not."

Burney added a plea to others in the community, especially children and teenagers, to take the virus seriously.

"Please, please be careful. Age and your good health mean nothing when COVID-19 strikes," Burney said. "Say a prayer for his recovery."

CINCINNATI —

Destructive TikTok challenges are causing trouble in school districts across Greater Cincinnati.

We first told you about them last week.

Now, in Harrison, the Southwest Local School District said restrooms have been vandalized and students have been caught.

A spokeswoman for Cincinnati Public Schools said the TikTok troubles haven't been raised to their attention at this point, but on social media, people have said it is happening within the schools as well.

It is a bad trend in many districts, according to school leaders.

"Just a general disruption to the school setting as a result of the influence of the videos that they're viewing online," Lockland City Schools Superintendent Bob Longworth said.

Schools report water fountains damaged, soap dispensers trashed and stuff stolen.

In Boone County, eight students have been cited, and it is happening elsewhere, all for the sake of likes, comments, follows and shares.

"Basically young people all over our region and state and country are being influenced to make really poor choices, resulting in the destruction of property," Longworth said.

Longworth said the "Devious Licks" TikTok challenge is an alarming trend.

In Middletown, there are more police officers in the schools because of the viral vandalism.

"So many children right now are starting to get frustrated with this challenge in school, and they want their classmates to stop because they enjoy coming to school every day, focusing in the classroom and being able to learn," Middletown City Schools Superintendent Marlon Styles, Jr. said.

The Southwest Local School District said Harrison High School restrooms have been vandalized; students have been caught in three different incidents and two more are under investigation.

They warn that students could face charges and families could get repair bills.

Mason City Schools Superintendent Jonathan Cooper said a small group is responsible in his district.

"We have great custodians and maintenance staff that, they work hard, and so to have to come back around and continue to fix those things can be a bit frustrating," he said.

They all said it is time parents talk with their kids to buck this trend.

"It should be a challenge for all of us as parents to lean in and look at what's going on on social media with our kids," Cooper said.

In Boone County, sheriff's officials said eight students face charges including theft and criminal mischief.

Juvenile courts in Butler, Warren and Hamilton counties said no children have been charged in these kind of incidents at this time.

TikTok has confirmed it has banned all content around this trend.

NEW ORLEANS —

Residents at an apartment building in New Orleans say they were abandoned after Hurricane Ida knocked out electricity, and the property manager offered little to no assistance to the 40 or so low-income residents. Many are elderly and have acute health conditions that were exacerbated by the oppressive heat after the storm.

Electricity was restored Thursday, but people who suffered through the heat are demanding answers.

"We went through a lot of pain and suffering, couldn't sleep, never got sleep or nothing, man," said Tyrone Webber, a resident at Boyd Manor.

Residents depended on local community volunteers who brought them food, water and ice. Some of the volunteers had been inside the building's apartments and shared videos that showed water on the floor and leaks around window sills.

The volunteers made patchwork repairs, but residents say they have not heard from the property manager about long-term solutions.

"The landlord didn't come here, not one day. We was without lights and everything for 10 days, and she's going to come here today talking about she want rent," resident Yolanda Lewis said.

National Baptist Housing and Economic Development own the property. Its chairman, who is also a local pastor, said he had evacuated from New Orleans for the hurricane and had not been to the residence since the storm.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development financed the property and pays 70% of the rent for tenants, who must qualify as low-income. This means residents did not have the means to evacuate on their own.

However, a representative for the company that manages the building told sister station WDSU that the residents were given information to arrange their evacuation through the city's 311 service. Only one resident chose that option.

The on-site manager has been to the building every day since Hurricane Ida and brought residents food and water, the representative said. Residents dispute that claim, saying volunteers and a council member have been their only sources of aid. One resident said the manager "snuck in through the backdoor."

A community member said conditions were substandard before the hurricane. He, too, said property management has been absent in the storm's aftermath.

Personnel is expected to be sent to complete an assessment of building damage. That process was hindered by the lack of electricity. There was no timeline given for when repairs would be made, but contractors are reportedly expected to be hired if the damages are extensive.

Residents should not be expected to pay their portion of the rent in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, a representative for the company said, adding that she was not aware that the onsite property manager had pressed tenants for payments. She also said she was not aware of residents' claims that problems such as mold, mildew and leaks were present before the storm.

Less than a week after Hurricane Ida ravaged the Gulf Coast, President Joe Biden was in Louisiana on Friday to get an up-close view of the damage and offer assistance from the federal government.

The devastation was clear as Air Force One approached New Orleans, with uprooted trees and blue tarps covering shredded houses coming into focus ahead of landing. The path to nearby LaPlace, where Biden was to be briefed by local officials, was dotted with wood poles that held power lines jutting from the ground at odd angles.

"I promise we're going to have your back," Biden said at the outset of the briefing.

Such trips to natural disaster scenes have long been a feature of the U.S. presidency. It's a moment to demonstrate compassion and show the public that the president is leading during the crisis. It's also an opportunity to hit pause, however temporarily, from the political sniping that often dominates Washington.

In shirtsleeves and boots, Biden was welcomed at the airport by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat. Several Republicans, including Sen. Bill Cassidy and Rep. Steve Scalise, the House Republican whip, were also on hand.

Biden was meeting with with local officials and touring a neighborhood in LaPlace, a community between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain that suffered catastrophic wind and water damage and was left with sheared-off roofs and flooded homes. He also planned a flyover tour of hard-hit communities including Lafitte, Grand Isle, Port Fourchon and Lafourche Parish, where Parish President Archie Chaisson said 25% of the homes in his community of 100,000 people were gone or had catastrophic damage.

Past presidents have been defined in part by how they handled such crises.

Donald Trump casually lobbed paper towels to people in Puerto Rico after a hurricane, generating scorn from critics but little damage to his political standing. Barack Obama hugged New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie in 2012 after Superstorm Sandy, a brief respite from partisan tensions that had threatened the economy with a fiscal cliff. And George W. Bush fell out of public favor after a poor and unprepared response to Hurricane Katrina, which swamped New Orleans in 2005.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Biden is grappling with the persistent threat posed by climate change and the prospect that disaster zone visits may become a more regular feature of the presidency. Before he left Washington, Biden called for greater public resolve to confront climate change and help the nation deal with the fierce storms, flooding and wildfires that have beset the country.

Scientists say climate change increases the frequency of extreme weather events — such as large tropical storms, and the droughts and heatwaves that create conditions for vast wildfires. U.S. weather officials recently reported that July 2021 was the hottest month ever recorded in 142 years of record-keeping.

As for Friday's trip, Biden said his message to the Gulf Coast was: "We are here for you. And we're making sure the response and recovery is equitable so that those hit hardest get the resources they need and are not left behind."

Biden's nearly eight-month-old presidency has been shaped in part by perpetual crises. The president went to Texas in February after a cold winter storm caused its power grid to fail and he has repeatedly monitored the wildfires that have darkened skies in Western states.

Besides natural disasters, the president has had to contend with a multitude of other challenges. He is searching for ways to rescue the 100-200 Americans stuck in Afghanistan after the longest war in U.S. history ended only a matter of days ago. He is also confronting the delta variant of the coronavirus that has stuck the country in an autumn of uncertainty only months after Biden declared independence from the disease at a July 4 celebration on the White House lawn.

His call for resolve to help the country overcome the pandemic and forge a $1 trillion infrastructure deal is now being applied to the perilous task of withstanding the aftershocks of climate change.

"The past few days of Hurricane Ida and the wildfires in the West and the unprecedented flash floods in New York and New Jersey is yet another reminder that these extreme storms and the climate crisis are here," he said Thursday. "We need to be much better prepared. We need to act."

Biden pledged robust federal help for states dealing with natural disasters. And he said he will further press Congress to pass his nearly $1 trillion infrastructure bill to improve roads, bridges, the electric grid and sewer systems.

The proposal intends to ensure that the vital networks connecting cities and states and the country as a whole can withstand the flooding, whirlwinds and damage caused by increasingly dangerous weather.

Ida was the fifth-most powerful storm to strike the U.S. when it hit Louisiana on Sunday with maximum winds of 150 mph (240 kph), likely causing tens of billions of dollars in flood, wind and other damage, including to the electrical grid. The storm's remnants dropped devastating rainfall across parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey on Wednesday, causing significant disruption to major population centers.

The storm has killed at least 48 people in the Northeastern U.S. and at least 13 in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

___

Associated Press writers Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge, La., and Christina Larson and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.

CINCINNATI — A CSX train derailment in Queensgate on Jan. 24 will keep streets in the area closed until the weekend.

Evans St. and Dalton Ave will remain closed to give crews time to remove debris and inspect an overpass near Mill Creek that was damaged when the train went off its tracks.

Drivers should use alternate routes such as the Eighth Street viaduct.

Officials said approximately 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel leaked onto Gest Street before crews were able to contain the spill.

CSX said in a statement that the leak came from a locomotive derailed on the overpass, but no leaks or spills came from any of the train cars.

No crew members were hurt in the incident, the company said.