NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Monday's winter storm left roads and interstates covered in ice and snow. With that, dedicated public works crews have been tirelessly working to clear the snow.
The recent weather has prompted an outpouring of community support, as some people have stepped up to help their neighbors navigate the challenging road conditions.
Chino Leach, the owner of Chino's Lawn Care LLC, is one such community hero.
Leach has been offering assistance to those in need for three years when winter weather strikes. As roads remained slick and dangerous, Leech says he has provided rides to people needing to get to work or those seeking essential items from the store.
"Everybody knows me. I'm always giving a helping hand, you know," Leach said.
Calls for his assistance came in all over the city, including Bordeaux, North Nashville, West South, Madison, Goodlettsville, and Green Hills.
While initially offering rides, Leech has now extended his services by also making deliveries for a small fee.
He shared a lesson from his mother.
"My momma always told me, 'If you can help somebody, help them.' I always give a helping hand to a neighbor," he said.
Another community member, Dylan Castle, echoed this spirit of generosity.
Castle, who owns a side-by-side ATV, realized the potential of his vehicle to be a valuable resource during the snowfall.
"I've had this thing for a couple of years now, and it mainly just sits in the backyard. So, I was like, this is a perfect time to get it out," Castle said.
He has been providing rides to individuals who need to reach places like the pharmacy or grocery store, ensuring that essential supplies are accessible during challenging weather conditions.
"It's just been super cool. Everyone's super grateful. We have a great community here in East Nashville. So, it's been a pleasure to be able to help them and have fun at the same time," he said.
Andre Gibson, one of Castle's neighbors, expressed gratitude for the assistance.
"He was gracious enough to do that. And he did it for others. He helped get medicines at Publix for his neighbors in the East Nashville community, and he didn't charge anybody any money," Gibson said.
NDOT is making progress on our primary routes.
Many of them have at least one travel lane clear and are slushing up despite the extreme cold temperatures, which has been one of their biggest challenges.
However, many secondary streets and neighborhood streets are still frozen with very little clearing.
For this reason, the city is asking people to avoid driving if they can.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
