Oklahoma Twister A Top-Of-The-Scale EF-5

Map of Oklahoma highlighting Cleveland County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

MOORE, OK (AP) — The National Weather Service says the tornado that hit Moore, Okla., was a top-of-the-scale EF-5 twister with winds of at least 200 mph.

Spokeswoman Keli Pirtle said Tuesday the agency upgraded the tornado from an EF-4 on the enhanced Fujita scale to an EF-5 based on what a damage assessment team saw on the ground.  The weather service uses the word “incredible” to describe the power of EF-5 storms.

The weather service says the tornado’s path was 17 miles long and 1.3 miles wide.

Pirtle says Monday’s twister is the first EF-5 tornado of 2013.

For more stories and video directly from Oklahoma, click here: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-twister-a-top-of-the-scale-ef-5/article/3828315

Woman Found Dead In North Coventry House Fire

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NORTH COVENTRY TOWNSHIP — Officials believe the fire in a Mount Zion Avenue home where a woman was found dead Tuesday morning was accidental in nature.

Township Fire Marshal Ron Comtois said there was nothing suspicious about the fire, though its cause and origins are not yet being released.

Comtois said the patrolman who came upon the fire around 3:58 a.m. attempted to enter the home but could not and called the fire department.

Responding firefighters discovered a deceased woman, whom officials were not identifying, on the kitchen floor of the home.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130507/NEWS01/130509506/breaking-woman-found-dead-in-north-coventry-house-fire-(video)#full_story

‘Dallas’ Star Larry Hagman Dies In Texas

English: Publicity photo of Larry Hagman and Barbara Eden from I Dream of Jeannie. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

.R. Ewing was a business cheat, faithless husband and bottomless well of corruption.  Yet with his sparkling grin, Larry Hagman masterfully created the charmingly loathsome oil baron — and coaxed forth a Texas-size gusher of ratings — on television’s long-running and hugely successful nighttime soap, “Dallas.”

Although he first gained fame as nice guy Capt. Tony Nelson on the fluffy 1965-70 NBC comedy “I Dream of Jeannie,” Hagman earned his greatest stardom with J.R. The CBS serial drama about the Ewing family and those in their orbit aired from April 1978 to May 1991, and broke viewing records with its “Who shot J.R.?” 1980 cliffhanger that left unclear if Hagman’s character was dead.

The actor, who returned as J.R. in a new edition of “Dallas” this year, had a long history of health problems and died Friday due to complications from his battle with cancer, his family said.

“Larry was back in his beloved hometown of Dallas, re-enacting the iconic role he loved the most.  Larry’s family and closest friends had joined him in Dallas for the Thanksgiving holiday,” the family said in a statement that was provided to The Associated Press by Warner Bros., producer of the show.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20121124/ENTERTAINMENT01/121129678/-dallas-star-larry-hagman-dies-in-texas

Wild Dogs Kill 2-Year-Old Who Fell Into Pittsburgh Zoo Exhibit

A map of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with its neighborhoods labeled. For use primarily in the list of Pittsburgh neighborhoods. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A 2-year-old boy fell 14 feet into the African painted dog exhibit area at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium shortly before noon Sunday and was mauled to death by the dogs.

Police said the child lost his balance after his mother lifted him in a standing position onto the 4-foot-high wooden railing of an elevated, gazebolike structure that overlooks the enclosure.  He toppled over the railing, hit a mesh shelf and landed on the ground of the open exhibit space, where he was set upon by the 11 dogs in the area.

The medical examiner’s office would not release the child’s name Sunday evening.  Police said he and his 34-year-old mother are from Pleasant Hills and were visiting the zoo with cousins, an adult and another child.

Major Crimes Lt. Kevin Kraus declined to comment on potential charges and said the bureau will continue to investigate to determine if anything could have prevented the death.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/wild-dogs-kill-2-year-old-who-fell-into-zoo-exhibit-660660/#ixzz2BMuWT5Tg

One Dead, 9 Injured After Lightning Strike At Pocono Raceway

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LONG POND – One fan was killed and nine others injured Sunday after being struck by lightning in the midst of a violent thunderstorm that overwhelmed Pocono Raceway just after the conclusion of NASCAR‘s Pennsylvania 400, track officials confirmed.

The victim, whose name was not released pending the notification of family, was pronounced dead at Pocono Medical Center by emergency room director Dr. Peter Favini, raceway president and CEO Brandon Igdalsky said. Nine others remained hospitalized at various area hospitals, one critically.

“Unfortunately, a member of our raceway family here, a fan, has passed away,” Igdalsky said. “On behalf of myself and my entire family and everybody here, really heartfelt thoughts.”

Track spokesman Bob Pleban said one of the injured fans remained in critical condition at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest. Two others were taken to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre, one with a moderate injury and the other with a minor one. Another fan with a minor injury was taken to Pocono Medical Center, and five others were treated and released at the raceway.

Read more: http://republicanherald.com/news/one-dead-9-injured-after-lightning-strike-at-pocono-raceway-1.1355045

Singer Robin Gibb Has Died At 62

LONDON  —  With his carefully tended hair, tight trousers and perfect harmonies, Robin Gibb, along with his brothers Maurice and Barry, defined the disco era. As part of the Bee Gees — short for the Brothers Gibb — they created dance floor classics like “Stayin Alive,” ”Jive Talkin’,” and “Night Fever” that can still get crowds onto a dance floor.

The catchy songs, with their falsetto vocals and relentless beat, are familiar pop culture mainstays. There are more than 6,000 cover versions of the Bee Gees hits, and they are still heard on dance floors and at wedding receptions, birthday parties, and other festive occasions.

Robin Gibb, 62, died Sunday “following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery,” his family announced in a statement released by Gibb’s representative Doug Wright. “The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time,” it said.

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/singer-robin-gibb-has-died-at-62-1.1318029

RIP Donna Summer – Dead At 63 From Cancer

Shooting Targets Resembling Trayvon Martin Sold Online

(Reuters) - Shooting targets resembling Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teenager shot to death in Florida by a neighborhood watch volunteer, were offered for sale online before the ads were pulled by the auction site.

The sale at an online gun broker’s auction site started on April 22 and offered 40 10-packs of paper targets, according to a screen shot of the auction ad by WKMG-TV in Orlando before the ad was taken down.

The targets featured a silhouette of a faceless person wearing a hooded sweatshirt, known as a hoodie, and holding a bag of Skittles candy and a container of tea. In an email exchange with WKMG, the seller claimed to be motivated by profit and to have sold out in two days.

Martin was wearing a hoodie and returning from a convenience store with Skittles and tea when he was shot on February 26 in Sanford, Florida. Neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, 28, is awaiting trial for second-degree murder in the racially charged case.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/11/us-usa-florida-shooting-targets-idUSBRE84A1CP20120511

Jonathan Frid, Ghoulish ‘Dark Shadows’ Star, Is Dead At 87

Jonathan Frid, a Shakespearean actor who found unexpected — and by his own account unwanted — celebrity as the vampire Barnabas Collins on the sanguinary soap opera “Dark Shadows,” died last Friday, April 13, in Hamilton, Ontario. He was 87.

He died from complications of a fall, said Kathryn Leigh Scott, who played several characters on the show. Mr. Frid, who lived in Ancaster, Ontario, leaves no immediate survivors.

Mr. Frid, along with several castmates, makes a cameo appearance in Tim Burton’s feature film “Dark Shadows,” to be released on May 11. Johnny Depp stars as Barnabas.

Read more:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/20/arts/television/jonathan-frid-ghoulish-dark-shadows-star-dies-at-87.html

Charles W. Colson, Watergate Felon Who Became Evangelical Leader, Dies At 80

Charles W. Colson, who as a political saboteur for President Richard M. Nixon masterminded some of the dirty tricks that led to the president’s downfall, then emerged from prison to become an important evangelical leader, saying he had been “born again,” died on Saturday. He was 80.

The cause was complications of a brain hemorrhage, according to Prison Fellowship Ministries, which Mr. Colson founded in Lansdowne, Va. He died at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va., and lived in Naples, Fla., and Leesburg, Va.

Mr. Colson had brain surgery to remove a clot after becoming ill on March 30 while speaking at a conference, according to Jim Liske, the group’s chief executive.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/us/politics/charles-w-colson-watergate-felon-who-became-evangelical-leader-dies-at-80.html?_r=1&hp#

NBC: George Zimmerman To Be Charged In Trayvon Martin Case

An enlargeable map of the 67 counties of the state of Florida (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Pete Williams, NBC News, and M. Alex Johnson, msnbc.com

Updated at 2:57 p.m. ET: The special prosecutor in the Trayvon Martin case will announce criminal charges against George Zimmerman on Wednesday, a law enforcement official told NBC News.

The nature of the charges wasn’t immediately known, the official told NBC News Justice Department correspondent Pete Williams, speaking on condition of anonymity. But because Angela Corey — the special prosecutor appointed by Florida Gov. Rick Scott to re-examine the case — previously announced that she wouldn’t take the case to a grand jury, first-degree murder is not an option.

Corey’s office confirmed that a news conference would be at 6 p.m. ET in Jacksonville, Fla.

Authorities in Sanford, Fla. — where Zimmerman, 28, a neighborhood watch volunteer, shot Martin, 17, on Feb. 26 — also began preparing for an announcement from Corey, NBC station WESH of Orlando reported. Seminole County sheriff’s deputies spent Wednesday morning setting up barricades along the booking area for new inmates at the county jail. 

Read more: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/11/11144255-nbc-george-zimmerman-to-be-charged-in-trayvon-martin-case?lite

Olympic Gold-Medalist Diver Lenzi Dies At 43

Olympic gold medal winner and former Indiana University diving star Mark Lenzi died Monday at age 43, the school announced.

According to The Free-Lance Star, Lenzi died after spending two weeks in a Greenville, N.C., hospital following a series of fainting spells.

Lenzi, who won gold for the US in the 1992 Barcelona Games, served as the men’s and women’s diving coach at East Carolina University during the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons.

Lenzi excelled at diving at Indiana, winning two NCAA titles in one-meter springboard.  He earned NCAA Diver of the Year in both 1989 and 1990, and he won all three diving disciplines — one-meter, three-meter and platform — in 1989.

Read more: http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/gold-medalist-diver-mark-lenzi-dies-at-43-040912

Mike Wallace, CBS Pioneer Of ‘60 Minutes,’ Dies At 93

 

Publicity photo of journalist Mike Wallace for the television program Mike Wallace Interviews. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Mike Wallace, the CBS reporter who became one of America’s best-known broadcast journalists as an interrogator of the famous and infamous on “60 Minutes,” died on Saturday. He was 93.

On its Web site, CBS said Mr. Wallace died at a care facility in New Canaan, Conn., where he had lived in recent years. Mr. Wallace, who received a pacemaker more than 20 years ago, had a long history of cardiac care and underwent triple bypass heart surgery in January 2008.

A reporter with the presence of a performer, Mr. Wallace went head to head with chiefs of state, celebrities and con artists for more than 50 years, living for when “you forget the lights, the cameras, everything else, and you’re really talking to each other,” he said in an interview with The New York Times videotaped in July 2006 and released on his death as part of the online feature “Last Word.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/09/business/media/mike-wallace-cbs-pioneer-of-60-minutes-dead-at-93.html?ref=business

Painter Thomas Kinkade Dead At Age 54

Thomas Kinkade (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of the most beloved artists in America has apparently died of natural causes, at home, according to a statement from his family.  Thomas Kinkade was 54 and leaves behind a wife and four daughters.

Kinkade lived in Los Gatos, California.

Last Known WW1 Vet Dies At 110

LONDON — Florence Green, the world’s last known veteran of World War I, has died at the age of 110, the care home where she lived said Tuesday.

Briar House Care Home in King’s Lynn, England, said Green died Saturday, two weeks before her 111th birthday.

Born Florence Beatrice Patterson in London on Feb. 19, 1901, she joined the Women’s Royal Air Force in September 1918 at the age of 17.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46297110/ns/world_news-europe/t/time-my-life-last-known-wwi-veteran-dies

Retired Philadelphia Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua Dies Amid Abuse Testimony Controversy

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, the retired Catholic archbishop of Philadelphia whose competence to testify in an upcoming church sex abuse trial was hotly debated in court, died in his sleep on Tuesday, the church said.

The cardinal, 88, led the Philadelphia archdiocese, the nation’s sixth largest, from 1988 to 2003. Church spokeswoman Donna Farrell said Bevilacqua died at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, the traditional home for the leaders of the Philadelphia archdiocese, where he had lived since retirement.

Whether Bevilacqua was well enough to testify had become a pivotal issue in the sex abuse trial of three priests, one now defrocked, and a former archdiocese school teacher. Another church official, Monsignor William Lynn, faces charges of child endangerment but is not accused of abuse.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/allentown/sns-rt-us-catholics-philadelphia-cardinaltre8100mt-20120201,0,5208721.story

Conrad Murray Gets Four Years For Michael Jackson Death

Michael Jackson’ s physician Conrad Murray received a sentence of four years after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter for his role in death of the King of Pop.

With good behavior Murray could serve less time as the sentence is for a maximum of four years.

 

Conrad Murray Found Guilty In Death of Michael Jackson

The jury has just returned their verdict in the case of Conrad Murray.  Conrad Murray showed no emotion as the guilty verdict was read.  Conrad Murray has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Joseph Jackson aka The King of Pop.

Amy Winehouse Cause Of Death Released

A British coroner ruled that Amy Winehouse died of accidental alcohol poisoning.  “Death by misadventure“ was the result of having a blood alcohol level five times over the legal drunk-driving limit.  Ms. Winehouse had ”fallen off the wagon” shortly before her death and had begun drinking heavily after a period of sobriety.  Ms. Winehouse was 27-years-old.

UK Singer Amy Winehouse Found Dead In Her North London Apartment

This is very sad news but yet hardly unexpected.  The 27-year-old singer has made more headlines recently for her drug and alcohol problems than she has for making music.  Another tragic end to a talented musician.  Amy won twenty-eight awards, including five Grammy Awards for Best Pop Vocal Album, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best New Artist, all in 2008.