🌱 Flooding On Calhoun Ave. + Blood Platelet Donation At Erlanger

Hello, neighbors! It's me again, Kayla Harrison, your host of the Chattanooga Daily.

Editor's Note: Some of you may have inadvertently received a copy of the McKinney-Frisco Daily in your inboxes this morning (Feb. 25). Patch was experiencing some technical difficulties last night and the wrong newsletter was sent out. While we can't remove that copy from your inbox, we are sending you today's edition of the Chattanooga Daily! We apologize for the error and are working to ensure this does not happen in the future. Thank you for your continued readership and support!

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First, today's weather:

Mostly cloudy and cooler. High: 56 Low: 34.

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Here are the top three stories today in Chattanooga:

1. Calhoun Avenue has "never been flooded like this," said one resident after high levels of water forced the residential street to close on Wednesday. The Chattanooga Public Works Department said a clogged drainage pipe caused "excessive flooding" on Calhoun, where some residents were unable to leave their homes. According to WDEF, yards were flooded and vehicles were submerged as Public Works crews worked to clear the water and debris. Clean-up is still underway. (WDEF News 12)
2. Earlier this week, Mayor Tim Kelly appointed Celeste Murphy as the first Black female chief of the Chattanooga Police Department. For the City's Black community, Murphy's appointment is "a huge step in a good direction," said one volunteer with the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga. Murphy spent 23 years with the Atlanta Police Department before joining Chattanooga PD, and said of her fellow Black officers that "many of us get on the department because we want to be a part of the change." (foxchattanooga.com)
3. A new blood platelet donation center has been opened on the first floor of Erlanger Baroness Hospital, and not a moment too soon: Across the county, blood supplies are at dangerously low levels and donors are harder to find due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Erlanger partnered with local blood supplier Blood Assurance to open the center, and COO Robert Maloney was the first to make a donation. The new center is open on Tuesdays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To schedule an appointment, visit bloodassurance.org/erlanger-platelets. (The Chattanoogan)

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Today in Chattanooga:

• 5th Annual Tri-State Home Show At Chattanooga Convention Center (10:00 AM)
• Gene Moore At The Comedy Catch At The Choo Choo (6:00 PM)
• Retro Weekend Dance Party At Regan's Place (9:00 PM)

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From my notebook:

• Chattanooga is in for a cooler, rainy weekend. Check out the full weekend weather forecast on Patch. (Chattanooga Patch)
• The Chattanooga Marathon weekend is coming up (Mar. 4-6). Here's how the races will impact local traffic. (The Chattanoogan)
• The Chattanooga Music Club is holding scholarship auditions for local high school seniors on Mar. 20. If your student is interested, make sure they submit their application by Mar. 1! (The Chattanoogan)

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You're officially in the loop for today! I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with your next update.

— Kayla Harrison

About me: Kayla Harrison is a Writing Arts professor, as well as a freelance writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. In her free time, you can find her listening to podcasts, writing poetry, and visiting local coffee shops.