Stories related to: Oklahoma

Tornadoes ripped through nation's heartland today, killing at least 19 people in Oklahoma and Missouri and leaving a wide swath of destruction, AP reports. Seven people were killed in the small mining town of Picher, Okla., and another 12 were killed in southwest Missouri, officials said. Oklahoma rescuers were working to free people trapped in their wrecked homes. Tornadoes also struck Arkansas, but no deaths have been reported. More »

Severe storms spawned twisters in America's heartland today, knocking out power, toppling tractor-trailers, and killing seven people in Arkansas, the AP reports. Up to 25 tornadoes also hit Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma, a state where hail smashed windshields and storms derailed railway cars. “It just seems like we’re getting pounded,” one official said. More »

Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry endorsed Barack Obama yesterday, saying the Illinois senator was the only one who could “transcend partisan games.” Henry is the third Oklahoma superdelegate to back Obama, the Tulsa World reports, bucking the results of the state’s Feb. 5 primary—which Hillary Clinton won 54-31%. Clinton has just one Oklahoma superdelegate, while six remain uncommitted. More »

A series of freak tornadoes touched down last night across the Midwest, killing two Missouri women and leaving a swath of destruction in their wake, CNN reports. Another person was killed when another twister hit Arkansas this morning. “I’ve never seen damage like this in the summertime,” said one Wisconsin sheriff. “To see something like this in January is mind-boggling.” More »

Wild antics usually sell videotapes for Joe Francis, the iconoclast behind “Girls Gone Wild.” But now they’ve landed the 34-year-old entrepreneur in jail and a slew of legal trouble. “I am not a criminal,” Francis insists, but his trail of civil suits and charges—including use of minors in sex acts, possession of contraband, and tax evasion—suggests otherwise. More »

A foot of snow hit Kansas this morning as thousands huddled in shelters there, unable to return home after power outages, the AP reports. Oklahoma, which still has 181,000 homes and businesses blacked out, caught a break this morning when heavy snow warnings were canceled. But Missouri is still in the crosshairs as the storm moves across the Midwest and into New England. More »

In the wake of an ice storm that cut power to millions, the Midwest is bracing for a second, with a 2 to 6 inches of snow headed for Kansas and Oklahoma, reports the AP. For the half-million still without power and those in emergency shelters, the next hit could mean a longer wait out in the cold.  More »

The deadly storm that shut down much of the Midwest is now giving the Northeast its first major taste of winter, the AP reports. Heavy snow snarled roads and airports in Boston, Connecticut, and New Jersey. Forecasters say some areas could get up to a foot of snow by morning, while others will deal with the mess of freezing rain and sleet. Meanwhile, a bigger storm is brewing and could strike by Sunday. More »

Nearly 1 million people are without power in the aftermath of a nightmarish ice storm that wreaked havoc with roads, homes and airports through a Midwestern swath of the nation. The storm has claimed 24 lives so far, most on ice-slicked roadways. Forecasters predicted a new storm building in the southern Plains today that will deliver more sleet and freezing rain to Oklahoma, Missouri and Texas. More »

An icy storm plunged more than 600,000 Midwesterners into freezing darkness today, crippling power and causing about 15 fatalities on slippery roads, the AP reports. Oklahoma fared worst, declaring a state of emergency as schools shut down and hospitals ran on backup generators. More is on the way, according to the National Weather Service—which posted ice and storm warnings for parts of several states tomorrow. More »

The 50-state quarter program will wrap up next year when quarters for the final five states will be released. The US Mint revealed their designs yesterday: Oklahoma's quarter will feature the state bird, the scissortail flycatcher, and the state flower, the Indian blanket. New Mexico's coin will be marked with a Zia sun symbol. Arizona's will include the Grand Canyon and a Saguaro cactus. Alaska's coin will feature  a grizzly bear with a salmon in its mouth. Hawaii's will be stamped with King Kamehameha. More »

The Trust for America's Health has come out with its fourth annual report on obesity.  And the losers are: Mississippi West Virginia Alabama More »

BusinessWeek lists the 25 most affordable suburbs in the South, determined not only by housing prices but also cost of living, violent crime rate, and school test scores. The first 10, in alphabetical order: Abilene, Texas Broken Arrow, Okla. Cary, NC Charlottesville, Va. Farragut, Va. More »

The floods overwhelming the Midwest worsened today as 42,000 gallons of crude oil accidentally released from a refinery on Sunday made its way farther downstream. A malfunction at a plant in Coffeyville, Kan., on the Oklahoma border, contaminated flood waters with a thick, pungent layer of sludge that threatens residents' health and the local economy, the AP reports. More »