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Tornadoes kill at least 21 across Midwest and South

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:13:13 GMT

Tornadoes and the storms that created them wrecked havoc on the South and Midwest Friday night, killing at least 21 people in a path of destruction that included Arkansas’ capital city and a roof collapse in a packed concert venue in Illinois.The dead included seven in one Tennessee county, four in the small town of Wynne, Arkansas, three in Sullivan, Indiana, and four in Illinois.The music venue was the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, about 70 miles northwest of downtown Chicago, where the Boston-based metal band Revocation was booked to play Friday night with Morbid Angel, Crypta, and Skeletal Remains.Dan Zaccard, the Emergency Management director for Boone County, Illinois, said in a press conference Saturday that his office issued a tornado warning siren at 7:24 p.m., by 7:47 p.m., the call came in that the roof had collapsed. The area looked like a disaster, he said, with “numerous buildings damaged, trees down, vehicles flipped, a lot of damage.”One 51-year-old ...

Gas station robbed at gunpoint, suspect not located

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:13:13 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Authorities are searching for the suspect in an armed robbery of a gas station near Lake Murray that happened shortly after midnight Saturday, San Diego police said.Around 12:52 a.m., the suspect entered the Speedway Gas Station at 8787 Lake Murray Boulevard and held a black semi-automatic handgun while instructing the clerk in the station to give him the money from the cash register, police said in a release. Driver shot during robbery attempt; suspects have not been located The employee complied, giving the suspect an undetermined amount of money. Afterwards, the suspect fled on foot headed south on Lake Murray Boulevard, according to SDPD.There were no reported injuries in the incident.The suspect was described as an African-American man in his 30's. He was last seen wearing a dark baseball cap, a medical face mask, a yellow vest over a red sweater and black pants.SDPD Robbery Detectives responded to the scene and are handling the investigation. Anyone with informa...

Israeli strikes in Syria’s Homs province wound five soldiers

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:13:13 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Israeli airstrikes hit several sites in Syria’s Homs province early Sunday, wounding five soldiers, Syrian state media reported.It marked the ninth time Israel has struck targets in Syria since the beginning of the year, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-linked war monitor.State news agency SANA, citing military sources, said the strikes had targeted sites in the city of Homs and surrounding countryside. Syrian air defenses intercepted the missiles and shot down some of them, it said.The observatory reported that the missiles targeted Syrian military sites and those of Iran-linked militias, including a research center.There was no immediate statement from Israel on the strikes.Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of Syria in recent years, including attacks on the Damascus and Aleppo airports, but it rarely acknowledges specific operations.Israel says it targets bases of Iran-all...

Johnson campaigns with congresswomen Schakowsky, Pressley, while Vallas courts the Latino vote in West Lawn

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:13:13 GMT

CHICAGO — Only three days remain until the mayoral runoff election in Chicago, and both candidates had a busy Saturday jockeying for position in a race that is coming down to the wire. WGN Poll: Vallas leading Johnson in Chicago Mayoral runoff election Brandon Johnson spent his Saturday at Nha Trang Restaurant in Uptown, campaigning in front of a large crowd with the support of Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley.During the event, Johnson shared some of his vision if he is elected mayor of Chicago, which he said included eliminating the structural deficit and making up to $1 billion in investments without raising property taxes."Leadership in this moment requires compassion, collaboration and competence," Johnson said. "That's what I bring to this moment, someone who can bring people together, and I've done that as an organizer … as a teacher. I've done it managing multi-billion dollar budgets." Chicago mayoral candidates look to...

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker issues disaster proclamation after tornadoes, storms cause damage

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:13:13 GMT

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker issued a disaster proclamation Saturday to allow immediate assistance and public safety support to help those impacted by Friday's damaging tornadoes and storms. Those areas include Boone, Crawford, DuPage, Marion and Sangamon counties. 4 tornadoes touchdown in Northern Illinois, NWS confirms The Illinois Emergency Management Agency has been directed by Pritzker to coordinate a statewide response.“The devastating storms that swept through our state last night have upended communities and resulted in heartbreaking injury and loss of life,” Pritzker said in a statement. “In response, I am issuing an emergency disaster proclamation to immediately provide all necessary aid to our communities. I am in close contact with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and local partners around the state to ensure every possible resource is provided to those who suffered losses or are experiencing displacement. My deepest thanks go out to the first responders and emer...

'Beat up by other dolphins,' dolphin stuck in Virginia creek

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:13:13 GMT

SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — It's an unusual sighting: a dolphin that has called a Virginia creek home for more than three weeks. Many people hiking along a nearby trail have routinely seen it, including Jack Evans. He called it unusual."It's been in this area in [Bennett's Creek] surfacing in the same spot now for over three weeks and it's concerning," he said.Marine scientists share the same concern. Chick-fil-A changes mind, won’t discontinue longtime menu item Alexander Costidis, senior scientist of the Stranding Response Program at the Virginia Aquarium, said it's not trapped by mud or by a rope, but by its own mind after being bullied by other dolphins in the ocean."This dolphin probably got beat up by other dolphins, which caused it to escape into the river," Costidis said.He said teams have been up to the creek five different times, three of those actively trying to coax it out. Nothing has worked so far."Seeing if we can encourage it with noise and kayaks to swim back down. We ...

State of Texas: After shootings, lawmakers push plans to make schools safer

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:13:13 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — A special committee formed after last year's school shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde met Monday to consider 17 bills aimed at enhancing school safety.The House Select Committee on Youth Health and Safety held its hearing just hours after another mass school shooting left three children and three adults dead in Nashville, Tennessee.House Bill 3 is the legislature's sweeping school safety bill and was at the top of the committee's agenda. It is authored by State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, who also chaired the House's investigation into the Robb Elementary school shooting.HB 3 requires Texas schools to meet enhanced security standards for their physical infrastructure and mandates school districts place at least one armed security officer at every campus. It also requires districts to implement a "multihazard emergency operations plan" and perform intruder detection audits every year. Under that bill, school districts would receive at least $10 per student ...

Isolated severe storms possible Sunday

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:13:13 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After a warm first day of April, clouds rolled in and even a few sprinkles late in the day. The limited rainfall is now done and the rest of the night will be partly to mostly cloudy. Overnight lows drop to near 60 making for a mild night. UPDATED April forecast increases chances for rain Sunday's weather should be more active as a cold front reverses course and heads north through the area as a warm front. It should make for a warm day with highs in the middle to upper 80s, but along the front an isolated strong or severe storm could pop up late in the afternoon through mid-evening. The Storm Prediction Center have some areas north of Austin in a Marginal (1 out of 5) severe weather risk. A low wind/hail/tornado threat accompanies the severe weather risk, but most areas stay storm-free tomorrow.Severe risk SundayRecord heat, or close to it, is expected early next week with highs returning to the 90s on Monday and Tuesday. Record heat possible early next weekA str...

From Beyonce to Brandi and Pink to the Chicks, women dominate the concert calendar

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:13:13 GMT

The big concert news this spring and summer? Women.The lineup includes a host of old favorites like Brandi Carlile, Shania Twain, Janet Jackson and the Chicks. Women are also headlining the biggest outdoor venues in town: U.S. Bank Stadium (Taylor Swift), Huntington Bank Center (Beyonce), Target Field (Pink) and Treasure Island Amphitheater (Carrie Underwood).Keep in mind that some large venues use dynamic pricing, which means ticket prices can vary. Also, the prices noted here do not include VIP packages or platinum tickets, which typically run into the hundreds of dollars.Here’s a look at what’s on tap from the ladies in the coming months.Shania TwainShania Twain accepts the Poet’s Award during the Academy of Country Music Honors award show Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)May 17: Country superstar Shania Twain released her debut album in 1993, but her career didn’t truly take off until she met producer Robert “Mut...

National Weather Service confirms EF-1 tornado in Salem, Illinois

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:13:13 GMT

SALEM, Ill. - The National Weather Service has confirmed at least one tornado in the St. Louis region amid Friday's severe storms. NWS officials confirmed that an EF-1 tornado ripped through Salem, Illinois, nearly an hour and a half east of St. Louis City. A twister formed around 8:11 p.m. and lasted nearly seven minutes. NWS reports it delivered gusts up to 105 miles per hour with nearly a six-mile path length and a 250-yeard path width. Top Stories: Courts connect four St. Louis infant exposure deaths to one woman No deaths or injuries were reported from Salem's tornado, according to NWS. Much of the St. Louis region was under a tornado watch for several hours Friday and some brief warnings were issued around many parts of Missouri and Illinois. The storm system also posed significant thunderstorm and hail threats. Check back for a more detailed report of storm damage out of Salem on FOX 2's evening ews coverage.