WITH YOUR FULL FORECAST COMING UP. BRIAN, WE’LL SEE YOU SOON. THANK YOU. HAPPENING TODAY, WINSTON-SALEM POLICE. THEY ARE PLANNING TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON GUN VIOLENCE IN THE CITY. AND THIS COMES AS FOUR OF NINE HOMICIDES WERE REPORTED LAST MONTH. REMAIN UNSOLVED AND LOVED ONES OF SOME OF THOSE VICTIMS ARE SHARING WHAT THEY THINK NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PREVENT MORE TRAGEDIES FROM THIS ONE OR FROM MIKE. THOSE TAKING PLACE AGAIN. VICTORIA LUCAS JOINS US LIVE WITH MORE ON THEIR SUGGESTIONS. VICTORIA, IN MULTIPLE SECTORS OF THE WINSTON-SALEM CITY CAME AND SPOKE AT THE GALILEE MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH. SOME OF THEIR SUGGESTIONS INCLUDE COLLABORATION WITH BOTH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE COMMUNITY. AFTER NINE HOMICIDES IN THE CITY IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY ALONE, CITY LEADERS FELT COMPELLED TO CALL THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER. WINSTON-SALEM ASSISTANT POLICE CHIEF WILLIAM PENN NOTES THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR ARRESTS, FOUR UNSOLVED CASES AND ONE OPEN CASE. THOUGH THERE MAY BE PROGRESS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS STRESS THEY NEED MORE. LET’S MAKE SOME ACTION. WHO’S MAKING THE MARCH? BECAUSE I’M TIRED OF LOOKING AT MY FAMILY AND MY PEOPLE AND MY COMMUNITY. BECAUSE I HURT LIKE PEOPLE. AND CITY OFFICIALS ARE REMINDING THE COMMUNITY IF THEY HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THESE CASES TO HELP THEIR FELLOW LAW ENFORCEMENT LEADERS AND CALL CRIMESTOPPERS. THE FORSYTH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS HOSTING ITS NEXT COMMUNITY FORUM TONIGHT. THIS IS VIDEO FROM LAST MONTH’S MEETING. IT WAS THE FIRST OF SIX THAT SHERIFF BOBBY KIMBROUGH HAS SCHEDULED. THE SECOND FORUM IS AT THE WALKERTOWN BRANCH LIBRARY. IT BEGINS AT 6 P.M. TONIGHT. LOOKING AHEAD, STATE LAWMAKERS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN DEBATING LEGISLATION THAT WOULD INCREASE PENALTIES FOR RIOTING AND RELATED CRIMES. THE HOUSE RULES COMMITTEE IS SET TO DISCUSS A BILL, A HOUSE BILL, NUMBER 40 TODAY. AND THIS MEASURE IS BEING SPONSORED BY SPEAKER TIM MOORE AND SEVERAL OTHER REPUBLICANS. PENALTIES WOULD BE INCREASED FOR INCITING A RIOT THAT LEADS TO DEATH AND ENGAGING IN RIOTS AND ENGAGING IN RIOTS THAT INJURE A FIRST RESPONDER. PLUS, PEOPLE WOULD BE ABLE TO RECOVER DAMAGES AND OTHER FEES IF THEY ARE INJURED OR THEIR PROPERTY IS DAMAGED. IT’S SIMILAR TO A BILL THAT CLEARED THE LEGISLATURE LAST SESSION, BUT WAS VETOED BY GOVERNOR ROY COOPER. BECAUSE THE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION ARE STRONG. THE STATE OF THE UNION IS STRONG. WELL, IN HIS SECOND STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS, PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN TOUTED THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS FROM HIS FIRST TWO YEARS IN OFFICE. HE ALSO LAID OUT HIS VISION FOR OUR FUTURE. CHRISTINA EVANS JOINS US THIS MORNING TO BREAK DOWN SOME OF THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH FROM LAST NIGHT. WHAT ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS? WELL, DEVONTE, GIVEN THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS, WAS ABOUT JUST THAT UNITY, THE PRESIDENT URGED REPUBLICANS TO WORK WITH HIM TO REBUILD THE ECONOMY AND BRING THE NATION TOGETHER AS A WHOLE. NOW, THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IN HIS PRESIDENCY THAT MR. BIDEN STOOD BEFORE REPUBLICANS SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE TO DELIVER HIS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS. PRESIDENT BIDEN SAYS THAT AMERICA REMAINS UNBROKEN IN THE FACE OF THE COVID PANDEMIC AND ECONOMIC THREATS. HE DID POINT OUT THAT ECONOMIC PROGRESS MADE DURING HIS PRESIDENCY, SAYING 12 MILLION NEW JOBS HAVE BEEN CREATED AND JUST THE LAST TWO YEARS. BUT ALSO AIMED HIS ADDRESS AT BRIDGING THOSE BIPARTISAN DIVIDES. YOU KNOW, MY REPUBLICAN FRIENDS, WE COULD WORK TOGETHER. THE LAST CONGRESS. THERE’S NO REASON WE CAN’T WORK TOGETHER AND FIND CONSENSUS ON IMPORTANT THINGS IN THIS CONGRESS AS WELL. AND TWO YEARS AGO, DEMOCRAT, SHE FACED HIS GREATEST THREAT TO THE CIVIL WAR. AND TODAY, THOUGH, BRUISED OUR DEMOCRACY REMAINS UNBOWED AND UNBROKEN. AND MOMENTS AFTER THE ADDRESS, NEWLY ELECTED ARKANSAS GOVERNOR SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS DID OFFER A SHARP REBUTTAL TO PRESIDENT BIDEN’S MESSAGE WITH THE OFFICIAL REPUBLICAN RESPONSE. TAKE A LISTEN. FROM OUT OF CONTROL, INFLATION AND VIOLENT CRIME TO THE DANGEROUS BORDER CRISIS AND THREAT FROM CHINA. BIDEN AND THE DEMOCRATS HAVE FAILED YOU. THEY KNOW IT AND YOU KNOW IT. AND IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE. OUR NORTH CAROLINA SENATOR TOM TILLIS, ALSO WEIGHED IN ON THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH. THE SENATOR THEN TOOK AIM AT THE PRESIDENT’S IMMIGRATION POLICY. THIS IS FOLLOWING HIS RECENT VISIT TO THE SOUTHERN BORDER. PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS FAILED ON THE ECONOMY AND NORTH CAROLINA FAMILIES HAVE BEEN PAYING THE PRICE. FACED WITH STICKER SHOCK AT THE GROCERY STORE AND AT THE GAS PUMP, FAMILIES HAVE RESPONDED BY MAKING THE TOUGH DECISIONS. THEY’VE BEEN SETTING PRIORITIES AND CUTTING BACK IN ORDER TO LIVE WITHIN THEIR BUDGETS. UNFORTUNATELY, PRESIDENT BIDEN AND THE DEMOCRATS HAVE DONE THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE. THEY’VE BEEN RECKLESS AND IRRESPONSIBLE THEIR WAY. AND IF YOU’RE WONDERING WHAT COMES NEXT, PRESIDENT BIDEN AND MEMBERS OF HIS CABINET ARE NOW SET TO TAKE HIS STATE OF THE UNION MESSAGE ON THE ROAD FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. AGRICULTURAL SECRETARY TOM VILSACK IS EXPECTED TO BE VISITING NORTH CAROLINA AND STATE UNIVERSITY IN GREENSBORO TODAY. HE’S GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT PROGRAMS TO HELP FARMERS EXPAND INTO NEW MARKETS. CHRISTINA, THANK YOU. YOU CAN WATCH THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS AND THE REPUBLICANS AND HIS RESPONSE IN FULL. WE’VE POSTED BOTH VIDEOS RIGHT NOW ON THE WXII 12 NEWS FACEBOOK PAGE. A VACANT SEAT ON THE GUILFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL STAY EMPTY. BOARD MEMBERS VOTED 5 TO 2 AGAINST APPOINTING MICHAEL LOGAN TO REPRESENT DISTRICT THREE. LOGAN WAS NOMINATED BY THE GUILFORD COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY TO REPLACE PAT TILLMAN. BUT TILLMAN RESIGNED WHEN HE WAS ELECTED AS A COUNTY COMMISSIONER. LOGAN NOMINATION HAS BEEN REJECTED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE. LEXINGTON CITY SCHOOLS WILL BE LOOKING FOR A NEW LEADER. SUPERINTENDENT DR. ANITRA WELLS WILL RESIGN AT THE END OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR. SHE HAS LED LEXINGTON CITY SCHOOLS FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS. THE SCHOOL BOARD SAYS THEY AGREED TO RELEASE DR. WELLS FROM HER CONTRACT, WHICH WAS SET TO END IN JUNE OF 2024. SHE WILL REMAIN AVAILABLE TO THE SCHOOL BOARD WHILE THEY SEARCH FOR A NEW SUPERINTENDENT. TODAY, STUDENTS AT EAST FORSYTH HIGH SCHOOL WILL HOST A BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION. THEY’LL LEARN ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS WITHIN THE HEALTH CARE FIELD, AS WELL AS THE HISTORY ABOUT KWANZAA. THERE WILL ALSO BE AN INTERACTIVE SING ALONG POETRY SLAM AND A LOT