A FORMER GUYTON INTERIM- POLICE CHIEF NOW FACING CHARGES. WHY AN EFFINGHAM GRAND JURY INDICTED HIM FOR LYING UNDER OATH. POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CHEMICALS FOUND IN SYNTHETIC HAIR INCLUDING SOME THAT MAY CAUSE CANCER. COSUMER RPEORTS WITH THE BRANDS YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR. AND HIGHLY SENSITIVE U-S WAR PLANS LEAKED FROM A TEXT CHAIN. WHO WAS IN THIS GROUP CHAT .. PLUS REACTIONS FROM I-16 IN BRYAN COUNTY AT US 280 THANKS FOR STARTING YOUR DAY WITH WJCL 22 NEWS. GOOD MORNING -- I'M EMMA HAMILTON. AND I'M FRANK SULKOWSKI. METEOROLOGIST JONATHAN MYERS IS JOINING US NOW .... NOW, HERE'S YOUR STORM TRACKER RADAR... TODAY SUNNY, WITH A HIGH NEAR 78. LIGHT AND VARIABLE WIND BECOMING SOUTH 5 TO 10 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. TUESDAY NIGHT CLEAR, WITH A LOW AROUND 54. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 7 MPH BECOMING CALM AFTER MIDNIGHT. WEDNESDAY SUNNY, WITH A HIGH NEAR 78. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 9 MPH. WEDNESDAY NIGHT MOSTLY CLEAR, WITH A LOW AROUND 50. NORTH WIND AROUND 6 MPH. THURSDAY SUNNY, WITH A HIGH NEAR 74. THURSDAY NIGHT MOSTLY CLEAR, WITH A LOW AROUND 52. FRIDAY MOSTLY SUNNY, WITH A HIGH NEAR 78 AND HERE'S A LOOK AT YOUR TRAFFIC TRACK 22. THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS ON THE ROADS THIS MORNING. THIS MORNING ... NEW DETAILS ON THE ARREST OF A FORMER GUYTON INTERIM POLICE CHIEF. AN EFFINGHAM GRAND JURY HAS INDICTED JOSEPH COPPOLA FOR LYING UNDER OATH. WJCL 22 NEWS TIA MAGGIO IS IN GUYTON WITH THE LATEST. THIS INDICTMENT STEMS FROM AN EARLIER CHARGE IN NOVEMBER. THAT CHARGE ACCUSED COPPOLA OF MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS. THE GUYTON POLICE DEPARTMENT FIRED COPPOLA IN DECEMBER 2024. AND IT'S NOW TURNED INTO A MUCH BIGGER LEGAL BATTLE. IT'S A CASE THAT'S BEEN SHAKING UP THE GUYTON COMMUNITY. JOSEPHA COPPOLA - FORMER LIEUTENANT AND INTERIM POLICE CHIEF - NOW FACES A SERIOUS LEGAL BATTLE. IN MARCH - AN EFFINGHAM COUNTY GRAND JURY INDICTED COPPOLA WITH PERJURY. THE INDICTMENT CLAIMS COPPOLA LIED UNDER OATH ABOUT A DEBT HE SAID BELONGED TO HIS LATE FATHER. "HE DID WHAT HE DID AND THAT'S, THAT'S THAT'S HE GOTTA ANSWER FOR IT. NOT THE GUYTON POLICE DEPARTMENT." THE GUYTON POLICE DEPARTMENT FIRED COPPOLA IN DECEMBER. POLICE CHIEF KELPHIE LUNDY STEPPED IN. HE SAYS HE DOESN'T WANT PEOPLE TO LOSE FAITH IN ITS POLICE. "WE ARE HERE TO BE TRANSPARENT. WE'RE NOT WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO HIDE. I MEAN, YOU TELL YOU YOU WANT TO COME AND AND JUST TALK WITH US OR HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH ME. YOU ARE. MY DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN." SINCE THE INCIDENT - LUNDY SAYS HE'S DOING STRICTER VETTING TO AVOID SOMETHING LIKE THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. "I'M DOING THE HIRING NOW IS JUST, JUST A REALLY, REALLY AND DEEP BACKGROUND CHASE DOING YOU KNOW FOUND OUT FROM OTHER AGENCIES AND YOU KNOW, PULLING RECORDS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE, THEY HAVE GOOD INTEGRITY TO BE A PART OF THIS, THIS, THIS TEAM." IF FOUND GUILTY - COPPOLA COULD SPEND UP TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON AND PAY A THOUSAND DOLLAR FINE. IN GUYTON - TIA MAGGIO - WJCL 22 NEWS. THE EFFINGHAM COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE THAT HANDLED COPPOLA'S ORIGINAL CASE IN NOVEMBER ... DECLINED TO COMMENT. BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFFS NEED YOUR HELP FINDING THIS HILTON HEAD ISLAND MAN. HIS NAME IS GEOFFREY HUNTER. HE WENT MISSING YESTERDAY MORNING. THEY SAY HUNTER IS TERMINALLY ILL AND WILL LIKELY HAVE OXYGEN WITH HIM. HE'S SIX-SEVEN AND WEIGHS ABOUT TWO HUNDRED POUNDS. HE WAS LAST SEEN WEARING A RED LONG SLEEVE SHIRT AND DARK COLORED SWEATPANTS. THE SHERIFFS OFFICE TELLS US HE WAS LAST SEEN IN A BLACK TWO THOUSAND AND FIVE DODGE MAGNUM WITH THE TAG T-H-B-EIGHT- SEVEN-SEVEN. IF YOU SEE HIM .. PLEASE CONTACT BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE. THE SAVANNAH POLICE DEPARTMENT IS INVESTIGATING A SHOOTING NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF EAST 32ND LANE STREET AND WATERS AVENUE. THAT'S JUST SOUTH OF EAST HENRY STREET IT ALL HAPPENED SUNDAY AFTERNOON AROUND TWO. THE VICTIM WAS APPROACHED BY A MAN AND WAS SHOT BETWEEN HIS NECK AND SHOULDER. HIS INJURIES ARE NOT LIFE THREATENING. THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING AND NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THIS INVESTIGATION PLEASE CALL CRIME STOPPERS AT THE NUMBER ON YOUR SCREEN. WILDFIRES IN THE CAROLINAS HAVE BURNED MORE THAN SIX-THOUSAND ACRES. THE FIRES... FUELED BY STRONG WINDS, LOW HUMIDITY .. AND WARM TEMPERATURES... HAVE PROMPTED EVACUATIONS AND A NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT. THIS IS VIDEO FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA NATIONAL GUARD. IT SHOWS MASSIVE PLUMES OF SMOKE RISING FROM THE HILLS .. WHERE THE TABLE ROCK FIRE IS LOCATED. AND-- A HELICOPTER DROPPING WATER OVER A BURNING AREA. IN BOTH SOUTH AND NORTH CAROLINA .. THE WILDFIRES HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT TO CONTAIN .. DUE TO THE NUMBER OF TREES DOWNED BY HURRICANE HELENE LAST SEPTEMBER./// THIS MORNING ... FIRE STATIONS IN SOUTH CAROLINA ARE EXPERIENCING A SHORTAGE OF FIREFIGHTERS. THIS IS CONCERNING AS WILDFIRES HAVE RAVAGED PARTS OF THE STATE IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS. ACCORDING TO OUR A-B-C AFFLIATE THERE ... SOUTH CAROLINA IS SHORT ABOUT ONE-THOUSAND FIREFIGHTERS. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CHARLESTON FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION SAYS DEPARTMENTS ARE SEEING NEW RECRUITS TRAINED AND ACCREDITED ... JUST TO WATCH THEM LEAVE FOR OPPORTUNITIES ELSEWHERE. LOW RECRUITMENT ALSO MEANS FIREFIGHTERS ARE HAVING TO WORK MANDATORY OVERTIME AND LONGER SHIFTS. THE FINALISTS HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR SAVANNAH- CHATHAM COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM'S TEACHER OF THE YEAR. WJCL 22 NEWS' SHANNON ROYSTER IS SHOWCASING THE WORK OF THESE EDUCATORS AHEAD OF THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR GALA. SHE BRINGS US THE STORY OF JAMESON MEADOWS WITH GODLEY STATION SCHOOL. JAMESON MEADOWS, BAND AND GENERAL MUSIC TEACHER AT GODLEY STATION SCHOOL, CREDITS HIS WIFE FOR INSPIRING HIM TO INSPIRE OTHERS THROUGH EDUCATION AND MUSIC. "MY WIFE WOULD ALWAYS TELL ME, YOU NEED TO BE A TEACHER, YOU NEED TO BE A TEACHER. AND FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS I RAN FROM THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BEING A TEACHER. JUST BECAUSE I UNDERSTOOD THAT BEING AN EDUCATOR HAD SUCH A WEIGHT TO IT, SUCH A RESPONSIBILITY." HE USES MUSIC TO ENHANCE STUDENTS CONNECTION WITH THE BROADER WORLD, AFTER THE WONDERFUL SUPPORT OF EARLY MENTORS IN HIS LIFE. "MY, HIGH SCHOOL BAND DIRECTOR, OFF TO WRITE THE THIRD WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN PUSHING ME TO BECOME A BETTER MUSICIAN, UNDERSTANDING HOW MY MUSICALITY AFFECTS MY LIFE FROM DAY TO DAY. AND THOSE PRINCIPLES THAT HE INSTILLED IN ME IN HIGH SCHOOL ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I PULL FROM TO TEACH MY STUDENTS TODAY." THE WONDERFUL SOUNDS THAT COME FROM MR. MEADOWS CLASSROOM ARE FROM THE INSTRUMENTS, BUT THE STUDENTS BEHIND THEM, AND HE WORKS TO DRAW THAT OUT. "I WANT TO I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHO THE PERSON BEHIND THE INSTRUMENT IS. BEFORE YOU BECOME A MUSICIAN. AND I SHARE WITH THE STUDENTS THAT I'M MORE INTERESTED IN YOU AS A PERSON, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE NOT FEELING WELL, IF YOU'RE NOT HAVING A GOOD MENTAL DAY, THEN THE SOUND COMING OUT OF YOUR INSTRUMENT IS NOT GOING TO BE WELL EITHER." THANK YOU, MR. MEADOWS. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL ANNOUNCE THEIR TEACHER OF THE YEAR THIS THURSDAY NIGHT DURING THEIR EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION GALA. THAT'S HAPPENING FROM 6 TO 9 P-M AT THE HYATT REGENCY SAVANNAH. WJCL 22 NEWS' SHANNONROYSTER WILL SERVE AS MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES. HAPPENING TODAY ... A GEORGIA WOUNDED VETERAN WILL RECEIVE A MORTGAGE-FREE HOME...COURTESY OF MILITARY WARRIORS SUPPORT FOUNDATION AND WELLS FARGO. RETIRED U-S ARMY SERGEANT FIRST CLASS TYLER WELTY LIVES IN LUDOWICI. HE ENLISTED IN THE ARMY IN TWO THOUSAND AND NINE AND WAS LATER DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN FOR TWO TOURS. HE EARNED A PURPLE HEART AFTER HE WAS INJURED IN COMBAT IN 20-12. AFTER 13 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE ... WELTY MEDICALLY RETIRED IN 20-22. HE WILL RECEIVE THE KEYS TO HIS MORTGAGE-FREE HOM