Home > Waco Breaking News > Archives > 2008 > April > 08
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Still just “strong,” not severe
1159 PM CDT TUE APR 8 2008
…SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR… NORTHEASTERN CORYELL COUNTY
AT 1159 PM CDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES EAST OF GATESVILLE…MOVING NORTHEAST AT 36 MPH.
CITIES IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE FORT GATES AND GATESVILLE.
PEA-SIZED HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THIS STORM.
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Watch expires, but another Coryell County storm
The tornado watch for our area has expired, but there’s a new storm to keep an eye on near Gatesville…
…SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR… CENTRAL CORYELL COUNTY
AT 1104 PM CDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES NORTH OF COPPERAS COVE…MOVING EAST AT 23 MPH.
CITIES IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE FORT GATES AND GATESVILLE.
PEA-SIZED HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THIS STORM.
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Send us your storm reports
Looking to hear what you saw tonight. Did you get hail, and how big? How much rain? Any damage?
Comment here or e-mail us at news@wacotrib.com.
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Storm weakening
The storm in McLennan County is weakening and the severe storm warning has expired, though there are still reports of penny size hail north of Moody, near Spring Valley.
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Storm warning update, McLennan County
…A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR SOUTHERN MCLENNAN COUNTY…
AT 945 PM CDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL…AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF BRUCEVILLE-EDDY…MOVING EAST AT 34 MPH. THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL NEAR MOODY.
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR… LORENA AND HEWITT BY 950 PM CDT… BEVERLY HILLS BY 955 PM CDT… ROBINSON BY 1000 PM CDT…
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Tennessee wins women’s title, 64-48
MORE
The Tennessee women kept Stanford at bay to claim another NCAA women’s basketball championship, 64-48, tonight in Tampa, Fla.
Candace Parker led the No. 1 seed Tennessee with 17 points. Jayne Appel had 16 and Candice Wiggins had 14 for No. 2 seed Stanford.
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Hitting Moody
NWS spotters are reporting golf ball size hail just south of Moody, and half-dollar size hail in Moody.
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Possible tornado
Power flashes are reported near Cold Springs, 12 miles south-southeast of Gatesville, and possible clouds reaching the ground. The dark, of course, makes it more difficult to tell if there’s an actual tornado…
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Coryell County update
…A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 PM CDT FOR EAST CENTRAL CORYELL COUNTY…
AT 905 PM CDT…STORM SPOTTERS AND DOPPLER RADAR OBSERVED A DEVELOPING TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 5 MILES WEST OF OGLESBY…MOVING EAST AT 22 MPH. SPOTTERS ARE REPORTING A LOWERING…POSSIBLY REACHING TO THE GROUND NEAR COLD SPRINGS. A TORNADO MAY DEVELOP AT ANY TIME…AND WILL LIKELY BE OBSCURED BY RAIN AND HAIL. TAKE COVER NOW!
THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR… OGLESBY BY 910 PM CDT… MOTHER NEFF STATE PARK BY 915 PM CDT…
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Storm warning, McLennan County
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR… SOUTHERN MCLENNAN COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS…
UNTIL 1000 PM CDT
AT 858 PM CDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL…AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 9 MILES WEST OF MOODY…AND MOVING EAST AT 22 MPH. THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL. THE TORNADIC PORTION OF THIS STORM WILL PASS FROM NEAR MOTHER NEFF STATE PARK TO NEAR TROY.
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR… MOODY BY 915 PM MCGREGOR BY 920 PM BRUCEVILLE-EDDY BY 935 PM LORENA AND WOODWAY BY 940 PM HEWITT BY 945 PM BEVERLY HILLS BY 955 PM
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Tornado warning, Bell County
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING FOR… NORTHEASTERN BELL COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS…
UNTIL 945 PM CDT
AT 855 PM CDT…STORM SPOTTERS AND DOPPLER RADAR OBSERVED A DEVELOPING TORNADO 19 MILES WEST OF TROY..MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. SPOTTERS INDICATE A LOWERING WITH PERSISTENT ROTATION. IF A TORNADO DEVELOPS…IT WILL BE WRAPPED IN RAIN AND HAIL. GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. TAKE COVER NOW! THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.
THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR… TROY BY 945 PM CDT…
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Storm updates
Waco and surrounding counties to the south are under a tornado watch:
TORNADOES…HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER…THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH…AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
SMALL CORRIDOR OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS/SUPERCELLS WILL CONTINUE FOR A COUPLE MORE HOURS NEAR STALLED SURFACE FRONT. IN ADDITION TO VERY LARGE HAIL…WILL LIKELY SEE ISOLATED TORNADOES AND DAMAGING WINDS WITH THESE STORMS UNTIL CAPPING INCREASES THROUGH THE MID EVENING.
The tornado warning for Coryell County continues:
…A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 PM CDT FOR SOUTHEASTERN CORYELL COUNTY…
AT 848 PM CDT…STORM SPOTTERS AND DOPPLER RADAR OBSERVED A DEVELOPING TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR FORT GATES…MOVING EAST AT 22 MPH. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. TAKE COVER NOW! A TORNADO MAY DEVELOP AT ANY TIME.
A POSSIBLE TOUCHDOWN WAS REPORTED EARLIER WITH THIS STORM. THERE IS ALSO A HISTORY OF GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL.
THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR… OGLESBY BY 910 PM CDT… MOTHER NEFF STATE PARK BY 915 PM CDT…
IN ADDITION TO TORNADOES…LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE LIKELY WITH THIS STORM.
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Stan Hickey wins constable runoff
Stan Hickey has won the Republican primary runoff for McLennan County Precinct 5 constable.
Hickey won 430 votes or 53.68 percent, beating incumbent Scott Geiger, who got 371 votes, or 46.32 percent.
Hickey has no Democratic challenger for the position.
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Storm updates
NWS relays ham radio report of golf ball size hail covering the ground 16 miles southwest of Gatesville.
Meanwhile, a new storm has reached tornado warning strength in Lampasas County moving eastward behind the first storm.
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Tennessee leads Stanford at halftime in women’s title game
The Tennessee women lead Stanford, 37-29, at halftime of the women’s NCAA Tournament championship game tonight.
Shannon Bobbitt leads Tennessee with 13 points. Candice Wiggins has 10 for Stanford.
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Updated Coryell County warning, 8:30 pm
There’s also a report of 10 minutes of golf ball size hail in Gatesville…
…A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 PM CDT FOR CORYELL COUNTY…
AT 828 PM CDT…STORM SPOTTERS AND DOPPLER RADAR OBSERVED A DEVELOPING TORNADO. THIS DEVELOPING TORNADO WAS LOCATED 5 MILES WEST OF FORT GATES…MOVING EAST AT 22 MPH. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO AT ANY TIME. TAKE COVER NOW! A POSSIBLE TOUCHDOWN HAS ALREADY BEEN REPORTED WEST OF GATESVILLE.
SOUTHERN SIDES OF GATESVILLE WILL BE IMPACTED BY THIS STORM…AS WELL AS FORT HOOD. LARGE HAIL TO THE SIZE OF TENNIS BALLS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR… GATESVILLE BY 835 PM CDT… FORT GATES BY 840 PM CDT… SOUTH MOUNTAIN BY 845 PM CDT… OGLESBY BY 910 PM CDT… MOTHER NEFF STATE PARK BY 915 PM CDT…
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Tornado reported on the ground
National Weather Service reports a trained spotter saw a tornado touch down 8:18 pm 10 miles west of Gatesville, south of the intersection of U.S. Highway 84 and County Road 177.
Updated warning:
AT 821 PM CDT…STORM SPOTTERS AND DOPPLER RADAR OBSERVED A DEVELOPING TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GATESVILLE…MOVING EAST AT 22 MPH. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM! TAKE COVER NOW…INCLUDING IN THE GATESVILLE AREA! GATESVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED A POSSIBLE TORNADO TOUCHDOWN NEAR 177 AND HIGHWAY 84…OR ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF GATESVILLE. TAKE COVER NOW!
IN ADDITION…LARGE HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS OR LARGER WILL BE POSSIBLE.
THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR… GATESVILLE BY 835 PM CDT… FORT GATES BY 840 PM CDT… SOUTH MOUNTAIN BY 845 PM CDT… OGLESBY BY 910 PM CDT… MOTHER NEFF STATE PARK BY 915 PM CDT…
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New Coryell County tornado warning
TORNADO WARNING FOR… CORYELL COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS…
UNTIL 915 PM CDT
AT 811 PM CDT…STORM SPOTTERS AND DOPPLER RADAR OBSERVED A DEVELOPING TORNADO 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GATESVILLE..MOVING EAST AT 22 MPH. SPOTTERS ARE REPORTING INCREASING ROTATION WITH A LOWERING. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM AND A TORNADO MAY DEVELOP AT ANY TIME. TAKE COVER NOW! IN ADDITION…HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS OR LARGER MAY ACCOMPANY THIS STORM.
THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR… GATESVILLE BY 835 PM CDT… FORT GATES BY 840 PM CDT… SOUTH MOUNTAIN BY 845 PM CDT… OGLESBY BY 910 PM CDT…
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Tornado warning in Coryell County (update)
…A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM CDT FOR WEST CENTRAL CORYELL COUNTY…
AT 758 PM CDT…SPOTTERS CONTINUED TO INDICATE A LOWERING WITH PERSISTENT ROTATION. A TORNADO MAY DEVELOP AT ANY TIME. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. TAKE COVER NOW! THIS DEVELOPING TORNADO WAS LOCATED OVER WEST CENTRAL CORYELL COUNTY…MOVING EAST AT 26 MPH. IN ADDITION…HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS OR LARGER WILL ACCOMPANY THIS STORM.
AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 84 AND NEAR ROUTE 116 WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS DANGEROUS STORM.
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Geiger leads in early vote for constable race
Scott Geiger led early voting in tonight’s GOP primary runoff election for the McLennan County Precinct 5 constable spot with 60 votes to rival Republican Stan Hickey’s 40 votes, early election returns showed.
The two were forced into a runoff by the March 4 primary in which Hickey and Geiger were the top vote-getters in a three-way battle. Candidate Ken Witt received 14 percent in the March race.
Whoever wins tonight’s GOP primary runoff election wins the constable post, barring a write-in candidate. No Democrats filed for the post.
The precinct covers western parts of McLennan County, including McGregor and Crawford.
The post became vacant when it was vacated by Larry Connally.
Statewide, Democrats Mark Thompson and Dale Henry, candidates for the Texas Railroad Commission, are duking it out for the right to take on Republican Michael Williams in November.
Early voting in McLennan County showed Thompson with 53 percent of the vote. Thompson is also leading the statewide vote at this hour.
Williams chairs the railroad commission.
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Looks like the front’s here
Scattered storms around the area — a tiny one coming through McLennan County, a larger onejust entering Coryell County from the west. There’s a severe thunderstorm warning on that one until 8 pm.
AT 717 PM CDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL…AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF EVANT…MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR… EVANT BY 745 PM CDT…
The storms are isolated enough that a general watch isn’t being issued. Still, keeping an eye on individual storms through the evening…
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Weather watch watch
The Storm Prediction Center has posted what’s called a “mesoscale discussion” — a sort of preliminary to a severe weather watch — for our area. The lead, with abbreviations unabbreviated: “Potential is increasing for thunderstorms to develop and become severe across this region. Large hail is likely… along with occasional strong to severe wind gusts. A watch may be required within an hour or two.”
The cold front is nearly here and is expected to move through the Waco and Temple areas and perhaps as far as Austin before stalling.
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Weather update
The latest severe-weather outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center have the Waco area within the “slight risk” zone for today and just on the edge of the “moderate risk” zone for tomorrow. In addition to having a higher chance for severe storms in general tomorrow, there’s also a higher risk for storms with large hail and especially high winds.
Today we’re watching a cold front as it makes its way south and east. The National Weather Service forecast is calling for the front to reach Killeen by midafternoon, stretching up toward Mesquite — which would still leave it to Waco’s west.
As for when this afternoon it would actually start raining here — well, to be honest, your guess is as good as mine…
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Kickoff rally for Friends FOR Waco Schools tonight
The group pushing for support of Waco ISD’s 172.5 million bond package, Friends FOR Waco Schools, will have a kickoff rally from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. today at the Texas Life Annex, 1000 Washington Ave.
During the rally yard signs and door hangers will be handed out, and a button-making machine will be available. The campaign will aim for a viral approach, said Friends FOR Waco Schools chairman Ralph Cooper, telling a Trib reporter recently that it will be a “tell-your-friends campaign.”
More information about the bond issue is at www.voteforwaco.org.
The bond election is May 10.
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Surprise for Waco principal
Right about now Lake Waco Montessori Magnet School principal Pamela Thomason is being surprised at her school as she is being told she is a finalist in the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards.
The H-E-Buddy mascot should be there, bearing balloons, flowers and cake. Thomason is being presented a $1,000 check for herself and a $2,500 check for her school.
As a finalist, she will compete on a statewide level in May against educators from four other Texas regions for a top cash prize of $10,000 for her and $25,000 for the school.
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General: Iraq security ‘fragile and reversible’
The top U.S. military commander in Iraq told a Senate committee today that improved security in Iraq is “fragile and reversible” and recommended a pause in the withdrawal of U.S. forces after mid-July, The Washington Post reports.
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he has recommended to his superiors that the military continue rolling back a “surge” of U.S. forces that President Bush ordered last year in response to deteriorating security in Baghdad and other parts of Iraq.
But after U.S. forces are drawn down to their pre-buildup level by mid-July, Petraeus said, the military should suspend the withdrawals and begin a 45-day period of “consolidation and evaluation.”
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Slow for the Cone Zone
We should all be more careful on the roadways, but there’s extra emphasis this week, which is National Work Zone Awareness Week. The theme for this year is “Slow for the Cone Zone,” and the city of Waco got involved by creating a public service announcement, one which I blogged about earlier but this week is a good time for a reminder.
Here’s a release sent by the city:
In response to the requests by numerous construction contractors, utility companies and city workers in the Waco area, the Municipal Information Department of the city of Waco released a 30-second public service announcement earlier this year aimed at trying to get motorists to slow down in work zones.
In 2007, over 150 utility and construction workers were killed in Texas while working on projects for the good of their communities.
In addition to providing copies of the PSA to all local television stations and cable companies, local utility and construction contractors have been contacting members of their various professional organizations to let them know the spot is available for use in their communities. The spot has already been provided to 30 other Texas cities for airing on their cable access channels.
Brandon Honea, city of Waco safety coordinator, said “This is a serious problem that utility contractors and city workers face when working near streets and highways. We hope this spot will help motorists realize that the barricades and cones are there for a reason, so workers can do their jobs without injury.”
The PSA can be seen on the city of Waco’s Web site at www.waco-texas.com. Click on the WCCC-TV online icon and select the PSA from the menu of available programs. For more information, contact Brandon Honea at 750-7045.
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Let your babies sleep
There’s a new concern that children who don’t sleep enough may become overweight as they grow older.
That’s the finding of two new studies published in a special issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine that’s devoted to research on children and sleep.
“The combination of too little sleep and too much TV is associated with markedly elevated risk of obesity,” Elsie M. Taveras, lead author of one report and an assistant professor of ambulatory care and prevention at Harvard Medical School, told HealthDay.
Babies who get less than 12 hours of sleep a day, for example, may have twice the risk of being overweight by the time they reach preschool.
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Mmm, the Pickle Sickle
So, do you enjoy popsicles that taste like vegetables? Well, the Trib’s latest “In Like Quinn” video with staff reporter Erin Quinn premieres today here as she tries out the new frozen confection known as the Pickle Sickle with a few students at Hillcrest Professional Development School.
Pickle Sickle. Even the name makes my mouth twitch, but not in anticipation.
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Cold front headed our way
Right now it’s expected to get here in the late afternoon/early evening timeframe, and it’s expected to bring storms with it. Better yet, it’s expected to become a stationary front, and sit on top of us a while…
There’s a chance of severe weather tonight and another chance tomorrow afternoon. More on those this afternoon, as the new outlooks come in.
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Teens attack 16-year-old to make videotape
This is disgusting — beating up someone and taping it so that you can post a video on YouTube. Read on …
Eight teenagers in Lakeland, Fla., have been arrested on charges alleging they beat another teen in an “animalistic attack” so they could make a videotape to post on YouTube.
Seven of them remained in juvenile detention today, authorities said. A boy who was charged as an adult had been released on bail.
Victoria Lindsay was attacked on March 30 by six teenage girls when she arrived at a friend’s home, authorities said. One of the girls struck the 16-year-old victim on the head several times and then slammed her head into a wall, knocking her unconscious, according to an arrest report.
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Fort Hood soldier dies in Iraq
We received a news release from Fort Hood announcing the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Here’s the release:
Spc. Matthew Troy Morris, 23, of Cedar Park, died April 6, in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Morris joined the military in December 2005 as a Power-Generation Equipment Repairer and was assigned to 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment since June 2006.
He deployed to Iraq in November 2007.
Morris’ military awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
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Runoff elections are today
I don’t think election workers today will be nearly as busy as on the March 4 primary — they might be bored stiff at a lot of the polling sites — but there is voting statewide for runoff elections.
The only Republican runoff election in McLennan County is for Precinct 5 constable, which is based in McGregor. Stan Hickey and Scott Geiger are facing off for the position, which current Constable Larry Connally is vacating. Whoever wins will be the new constable because no Democrats ran for the post.
All 58 polling sites in the county will be open until 7 tonight for the Democratic runoff for railroad commissioner. Dale Henry and Mark Thompson are vying for the nomination and the winner will take on GOP incumbent Michael Williams in November.
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And the Pulitzer goes to … Bob Dylan
This wasn’t in the list of Pulitzer Prize winners in our newspaper today, but artist and songwriter Bob Dylan received an honorary Pulitzer Prize on Monday, cited for his “profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.”
The Washington Post newspaper grabbed six Pulitzers, one off the record of seven won by the New York Times in 2002, primarily for its coverage of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and aftermath.
Here’s the full list of Pulitzer winners for 2008.
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Olympic torch arrives in U.S.
The Olympic torch arrived for its only North American stop amid heavy security today, a day after its visit to Paris descended into chaos and activists here scaled the Golden Gate Bridge to protest China’s human rights record.
Meanwhile, International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said the committee would consider ending the international leg of the Beijing Olympic torch relay because of the protests.
The torch’s global journey was supposed to highlight China’s growing economic and political power. But activists opposing China’s human rights policies and a recent crackdown on Tibet have been protesting along the torch’s 85,000-mile route since the start of the flame’s odyssey from Ancient Olympia in Greece to Beijing, host of the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Three people climbed the Golden Gate Bridge on Monday and tied the Tibetan flag and two banners to its cables. The banners read “One World One Dream. Free Tibet,” and “Free Tibet 08.” They later climbed down and bridge workers cut down the signs.
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General to ask more patience in Iraq
Gen. David Petraeus, the four-star general in charge of Iraq, planned to testify today on the war for the first time in seven months. He wants more time in a war that is now in its sixth year.
Democrats, however, say he’s got until the November elections.
He is expected to tell two Senate committees that last year’s influx of 30,000 troops in Iraq had helped calm some of the sectarian violence but that to prevent a backslide in security, troops would likely be needed in large numbers through the end of the year.
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First South Korean in space
BBC News reports that a Soyuz rocket carrying South Korea’s first astronaut, Yi So-yeon, has launched successfully on its voyage to the International Space Station.
The 29-year-old female bio-engineer and two Russian cosmonauts will spend about 10 days in space and conduct a series of scientific tests.
This Associated Press story has a lot more detail, including some of the intrigue behind the scenes and the fact that the woman’s mother collapsed as the rocket lifted off.
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Chance of rain this Tuesday
As we start another day with overcast skies, we do have a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. The National Weather Service says some of the storms could be severe.
It’ll be mostly cloudy, with a high temperature near 82. We’ll have south-southeast winds between 15 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
There’s a greater chance of rain tonight — 50 percent — mainly after 7 p.m.
We have a 30 percent to 40 percent chance of rain through Thursday.
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