ROGERSVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — Authorities have returned to Beech Creek months after scaling back efforts in the search for missing Rogersville 5-year-old Summer Wells.

According to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) public information officer Leslie Earhart, the return is part of a planned search to take advantage of winter weather.

Earhart emphasized there are no new developments in the Summer Wells case, and the heavy police presence stems from new search efforts as the colder season brings less foliage in the area.

“Today, teams will be focusing on overgrown areas that were previously difficult to access due to high grass and heavy foliage,” Earhart said. “Several other law enforcement agencies are assisting.” 

Earhart told News Channel 11 that cadaver dogs were utilized during Tuesday’s search, “as they have been in the past.”

The command center was demobilized in late June as incident commander Tim Coup told News Channel 11 that crews were “scaling back search operations.”

The reopened command center comes as the search approaches the half-year mark since Summer’s June 15 disappearance.

The Mount Carmel Freewill Baptist Church command center location was originally created as a headquarter for the Summer Wells search efforts.

Specialized search teams traveled from across the country to assist with search efforts in June, including more than 100 agencies from across the state and the FBI Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team.

Earhart said search crews will return to Beech Creek on Wednesday.