Im still here you know. I dont work here and thats how it is. Bill former panthers player and ravens player stock talks with genet caiazzo about commuting back and forth now is using childhood experiences. Good evening and thank you for joining us for fox 46 news verdana bill melugin. Kayla im kayla ayres. First time fox is thousands of families with charlottemecklenburg schools wanting to wait to see how their kids education may change. Bill the possible benefits of maybe branching out impossibly starting their own School District. David sentendrey is live in the newsroom to explain what do you think about doing. That came to light earlier today when the mayor mathewson out a tweet in a nutshell said he wanted to look into his town completely. Annabel mendez is celebrating her daughters tenth birthday by creating art outside of their neighborhood school. Matthews elementary. I know the teachers are like a community so its almost like home. Almost like him but simply the cms assignment plan could soon be splitting up students from their home area schools before this as a chance to become reality. Matthews mayor jim taylor said his town may want out. From our standpoint we are not willing to does that happen. At tuesday the fourth education approved a list of goals for his assignment plan including equitable access for all children maximized efficiency in the use of school facilities, reduce the number of schools with high concentrations of poor and high need students and provide options to students not meeting the state performance standards. Hours later mayor taylor sent out this tweet, a call to action for not just the town of matthews but for pineville and midhill to possibly leave cms schools. Thats thousands of students they are looking at potentially starting up their own School District with. A lot of it will depend on what ms does. While the conversation starts at town halls certainly it will require the state legislature to allow such a move. Its something the mayor says he started discussing with federal members and rally. They are imported they are willing to support a look into the possibilities. Mendez says her family loves their school and shes open to looking at the possibilities to keep her children at home. I put all of my effort into this school because its my hometown school. Earlier today we did reach out to cms and their not wanting to comment with us at this time. Reporting live in the newsroom bill cms conducted a Student Assignment survey. Those results will be released at a later board meeting. Once a Student Assignment plan is approved its going to be implemented no sooner than the 2017 22 school year. Kayla strong wind and heavy rain hit the queen city. This video was taken at the union in uptown charlotte and will mark a tree on top of a car. That was just one of several scenes where trees came down on the city. To get the latest on where things stand now lets head straight over to chief meteorologist brian basham. Good evening everybody. This was a major player in our area today. Heres the good news is moved on and move off the coast of the atlantic and everywhere North Carolina doing much better than it was earlier in the day. We may still see a few drops. I was driving around around 9 00 lisa rein. The wind continues to blow have going to be our Biggest Issue as we get into tomorrow in the following day. We are under a wind advisory tonight until midnight and we will be looking at winds at 20 to 30 miles an hour. Czars steady wins, not gus and gusts of 24255 miles an hour. Theres there is not a wind advisory for thursday but the Weather Service is contemplating another one so this is lingering through tomorrow as well. I will check that for you plus we will show you how cold is going to get over the next couple of nights in another 10 minutes from now through the meantime i want to remind you if you havent picked up your fox 46 weather app do so. Today perfect example of why you want to have a pity contact the stores before they move into the area. You will get watches and alerts notifying you on your phone. Kayla thank you brian pier one it comes to the weather tonight is a very different story than i was this morning when Severe Weather ripped through much of thats where large tree fell leveling a single story home. Emily spoke with a homeowner who says she actually feared that this one they would happen. It just so happened to be the largest tree in her backyard measuring of the sport feet wide issues its yearly spirit would fall but never imagined the amount of damage it would cause. It was just after noon wednesday when alicia hunsinger got the call. My neighbor across the street told me it fell on my house and demolish my house. It was a combination of strong winds and saturated ground that force to this monstrous tree in hunsingers backyard to come crashing down to the center for home. The impact blew out the front door and everything in the trees path crumbled. My kitchen is pretty much destroyed but i hope i can salvage some pictures in there. A neighborhood near uptown where tree snapped in half and crashed through the roof of a townhome. As in hunsingers case no one was home at the time. The structure was declared unsafe. Crews began working to clean up the mess from the inside out. There will have to be some temporary shoring of the framing for us to be able to get a tarp put up there. Sanders are represented for bank or restoration. She says business for them its been nonstop for the last 24 hours. We started taking trees off of houses yesterday from the ground being so wet, and having to tarp the roof, broken trusses, water damage inside and so we have had crews all day doing those types of things. While crews work aroundtheclock to bring peace of mind to those affected just grateful to be alive. You have to look at the big picture. Kayla while the rain has moved out of our area still very windy on the ground and very wet which makes incidents like this one more likely to happen. Kayla thank you emily. Downed trees were not the only problem caused by todays storms. The number of Car Accidents were reported as well. L medics in charlotte tells us tell us as of 8 00 they have seen several wrecks telling us theyre there are been several Power Outages throughout the day and the damage is affecting intersections and traffic lights up there. We actually just checked with duke energy before our show. They told us listen to this there are currently 16,000 Power Outages in charlotte and surrounding areas. High winds caused a tree to be uprooted and crashed into a house in myers park than another tree came down on a house in at one point patry was completely blocking the road. Cfpb said the area may be shut down in both directions even through the morning commute. The first thought i had was my wife when we walk around the block always worries. She looked up and saw a falling limb and she thinks trees are falling on her and i always make fun of her but they do fall. Sometimes it will do Property Damage and sometimes people are in the wrong place and they get killed or injured. Thankfully no injuries. More tips on staying safe during the Severe Weather and to get pictures the storm damaged head to our web site at fox46charlotte. Com. New attention on city manager announced he will not be asking for contract extension. Ron carlee has served as an city manager since 2013. He acted as the citys chief executive staff and oversight of all city operations. Ron carlee implemented the policies of the mayor and city council. Mayor Jennifer Roberts called ron carlee quote a great Public Servant and wished him the best in his next endeavors. Ron carlee made his announcement on twitter saying yes its true i will simply a free agent and quote. Sinclair was ron carlee will be doing after he leaves office and an exact timeline of his departure has not been announced. Also new at 10, two people are in custody charged with possession of drugs and unlawful conduct towards a child. Rock Hill Police Say tuesday they were responding to a welfare check call of an elderly woman in the 1300 block of salida street and found a woman sitting in a wheelchair apparently disoriented when the neighbor opened the door to the trailer where the woman lived other clothing officers went inside and found Lacy Henderson and freddie lazios and they believe both were under the in in implicit tax. Police found marijuana in the house and a loaded shotgun in the room where Authorities Say a toddler could on a hold of it. Where the teenagers accused of shooting a puppy with a bb gun 18 times in rock hill is now offered on a 5000dollar bond to this after he faced a judge for the first time this morning. The 17yearold amonte that was as a High School Sophomore and is being charged as an adult. Hes now facing felony and cruelty and torture charges for what investigators say he did to the six weekold puppy. Investigators say douglas wasnt alone in the crime. He and a 14yearold injured the dog. Both the teen and his family declined comment on camera outside the courtroom and the puppy is now recovering at the rockville animal hospital. No surprise hes already been adopted. Woman is accused of trying to at hiding those drugs inside a bible. Take a look at the picture linking county deputies sent to us. They tell us frances mountainside to sneak Illegal Drugs into brandon kirby. Mountain was arrested and charged with providing drugs and tobacco to an inmate. Kayla as the heated debate surrounding the nondiscrimination ordinance continues Charlotte City councilmembers are speaking out about how they voted. Some believe there still a very real possibility it could all be struck down by the General Assembly. Governor mccrory is threatening to lock the ordinance. Wood is so emotionally charged for so many is the fact that the ordinance would provide section to men and women to use the restroom they identify with. This makes many wonder what legislative intervention might look like. We have to recognize what surrounding area Councilmember Ed drives it against the ordinance. We called speaker of the house can moores office moores officer miller told the ordinance might be partially blocked or blocked in its entirety and it will be discussed during the General Assembly session in april. Weathers panthers or ravens its not about which team you are its about what city you are invested in charlotte. Bill steve Smith Cemetery anchored jen caiazzo to talk about why family and football. Stick around, you will want to see this exclusive interview. Kayla a public apology from a public official. When he ranted about in the meeting that upset a lot of people. Bill city leaders and one local town are working to improve their downtown using ways. vo want to be happy with your next vehicle purchase . At enterprise, we guarantee it. Head to your neighborhood enterprise car sales and let the people who buy more vehicles than anyone. Bill welcome back. Hes an absolute legend in the queen city and even though he doesnt play for the panthers in a more bands bows down to the one, the only steve smith. Jenna caiazzo got to sit down with him in a onetoone exclusive interview. Take a look. Use of force on the field. When you say what does he do on the football field and in the community. Queen city. What are you doing here . I live here. They say you are still here and i say where did i go . Im still here. I still live here. I dont work here anymore and thats how it is. People come and go and move on the job but i have the unique opportunity that i can still invest here. While he plays for the ravens his heart is in charlotte and will always be. My home. This is where my children go to taxes. This is where it claim residence. So this is also my committee. P when he is and playing football is working tirelessly on this Foundation Organization founded to help those in need. Families of victims who chairs the support they get from smith himself and the hands of his foundation. One group that benefits is near and dear to his heart. Domestic violence and understand the statistics that they say that children the witness have a higher accessibility to being an abuser as well. I am the child that they faced just six are about so i want to make that, understanding that i know as an adult the ramifications and the residual effects its had on me and the way i see things. While he helps the community in baltimore he tells me he will always have carolina on his mind. Its not about which team youre on, its about what city you are invested in that charlotte. Bill smith was drafted by the panthers in 2001. He spent his career at the panthers until he was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2014. Brian certainly one of the most he seems like a really great so need to see that. Take a look here at some video. Look at the downpour we are seeing across the area. This was shot by her own robin kennedy. She captured the storm as it was moving through harrisburg around 1 00 today. The system has caused to high school in middle and Elementary School landfare is county to be without power in a lot of areas without power, my house to get hit and didnt get back on board until 9 00 p. M. Tonight. That may be an issue that many folks are struggling with but heres the good news, we are seeing the storms have stopped. The bad news is we still have this wind and it is going to stick around through tomorrow. We will see specific us. Steady wins in charlotte 24 miles an hour. These are solid steady wins not just gus and so its definitely 40 miles an hour. Its whipping around out there guys. Keep in mind that our ground is still very saturated and with lens on top of that as we get into tomorrow they will stick through tomorrow during the morning hours, 20 Miles Per Hour winds in charlotte 30 plus in the mountain ranges and again they will stick around for most of them thursday. They will break thursday night. Dropping down to Single Digits but up into the teens into frightening. Not nearly as monday and friday but nevertheless it will be a cold couple of mornings and again throwing that ran on top of it 2 inches the last couple of days a halfinch adjacent to and after 3 inches in charlotte. That ground is wet and we have had a lot of downed trees across the area. Dont be surprised to see more of that as we get into tonight and tomorrow. Temperatures will start to fall 47 with winds blowing at 23. Satellite and radar we may see a few more light showers in the area tonight. Our big weather the frontal boundary moving to the coast. Taking everything offshore but we are seeing a potential for rain scattered showers but we will be focusing on opportunities for snow in the mountains tomorrow. We could be talking a couple of inches payfors totally done. Cooler temperatures over the next several mornings in but a nice warmup for. Into the weekend. Well show you that coming up 10 minutes from right now. Succeed. But thats how some president ial candidates seem to be dealing with social security. Americans work hard, and pay into it. So our next president needs a real plan to keep it strong. elephant noise donkey noise swing with thousands of fan fans and alumni expected to show up at thousands of middle school and High School Students packed the Charlotte Convention center. Cia education and a host of more than 5000 students from cms and others surrounding School Districts. The students an opportunity to meet with college recruiters. Organizers say is centered around the basketball tournament but education is definitely the main focus. You have to be a student, wellrounded, motivated. You have to make sure your grades are where they need to be thats why we continue in the tradition. Students met with recruiters and colleges in maryland virginia pennsylvania and North Carolina as well as military recruitment officers. Its continues through saturday. City leaders in Kings Mountain have big fan plans to improve one of five cities to be worth the state grant. Those funds going towards parking lightning and signage. As pam smith tells us officials also plan on using technology to improve it. A downtown area can tell you about about the city. For Kings Mountain people filled downtown represents smalltown wealth but it could be improved. Downtown is the mayor is grateful to be receiving 96,000 from the state to develop downtown Kings Mountain. Just exactly where the money will go is still being worked out. He said its likely going towards park lighting and signage. I think the monies from the state helps. The grant is the only thing city leaders are excited about. Theyre also working on the this is an in Kings Mountain. The Apps Development is still in its early stages. Geisler said it will be good to place for someone looking for a business. If you want to know where to go. Brett hawkins is a lifelong resident of Kings Mountain. His bike shop opened a month ago. Its great to know that the business. He said the city is special and is looking to improve while still maintaining its character. People want the convenience of a big city but they may not necessarily want to live in a big city. They like to live in a Small Community where its a tightknit community and everyone knows everyone else. In Kings MountainSam Smith Fox 46 wjzy. Grants include Dunn Hendersonville Lincolnton and pembroke. Bill imagine people you dont know du