Connect with us

News

Severe Storms Batter The Midwest, Including Reported Tornadoes That Shredded A FedEx Facility

Published

on

tornadoes
AP News - VOR News Image

Pavilion Township, Michigan – Severe storms swept into the Midwest early Wednesday, a day after two tornadoes ripped through a Michigan city and surrounding area, demolishing homes and business structures, including a FedEx factory.

According to the National Weather Service, tornadoes were initially recorded after dark Tuesday in sections of Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. Tornado watches were also in effect in Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri. The storms struck a day after a fatal tornado blasted through an Oklahoma town.

Travis Wycoff left his southwestern Michigan home Tuesday night after seeing on radar that a tornado had touched down in the Portage region. About five minutes later, he discovered the aftermath.

“There were a lot of people running through the streets trying to find people and their pets,” Wycoff stated. “It was just a lot of chaos.”

tornadoes

AP – VOR News image

Severe Storms Batter The Midwest, Including Reported Tornadoes That Shredded A FedEx Facility

Wycoff claimed he assisted an elderly couple get out of their partially collapsed home and liberated a service dog from a property whose owner was at work.

On Wednesday morning, he distributed water and volunteered to assist in cutting down fallen tree branches around the Pavilion Estates mobile home park.

“It is community. “I can’t sit a mile away from here when I was completely safe,” Wycoff added. “I couldn’t sit there in good conscience and not come down to try to help somehow.”

The National Weather Service verified that a tornado with a preliminary EF-0 rating and winds of 85 mph (137 kph) came down early Wednesday in southern Indiana, damaging homes in a subdivision north of Sellersburg, which is about 12 miles (19 kilometers) north of Louisville, Kentucky.

The Clark County Emergency Management Agency reported that the storm damaged 24 structures.

Candice Holmes, a Lewis & Clark condominium homeowner north of Sellersburg, said she, her husband, and son took refuge in their bathroom when they heard the approaching storm and “the wind just picked up all at once.”

“My husband and son went outside, opened the door, slammed it, and hurried back to the restroom. “And they held the bathroom door shut as it passed through,” Holmes told WDRB-TV. “It was done as soon as it began, but it was a frightening experience. And I’m delighted we’re still alive.

According to Jeff Craven, the meteorologist in charge of the weather service’s Pittsburgh office, survey teams will go out Wednesday to evaluate whether tornadoes affected Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia regions.

Tornadoes were detected on radar in Hancock County, West Virginia, and Jefferson County, Ohio, but according to Craven, teams will need to assess the damage to determine their rating.

Hancock County Schools in West Virginia canceled classes Wednesday due to “extensive overnight weather issues” throughout the county. News outlets reported damaged structures and power disruptions.

tornadoes

AP – VOR News Image

Severe Storms Batter The Midwest, Including Reported Tornadoes That Shredded A FedEx Facility

According to forecaster Tabitha Clarke, a National Weather Service team was also heading to Hot Springs, Arkansas, to assess the damage and strength of a tornado that struck early Wednesday morning.

The tornado damaged homes, toppled trees, and knocked down power lines. According to the state Division of Emergency Management, there were no initial reports of tornado-related injuries.

In Michigan, two tornadoes slammed through Portage and the nearby Pavilion Township, demolishing houses and commercial structures, including a FedEx facility.

No significant casualties were reported immediately, but municipal officials claimed in a news release that the tornadoes knocked off electricity to more than 20,000 residents. According to city officials, the majority of them will be without power until late Wednesday.

Due to broken electrical lines, approximately 50 people were trapped inside the FedEx building. However, corporate representative Shannon Davis confirmed late Tuesday that “all team members are safe and accounted for.”

According to Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller, more than a dozen mobile homes in Pavilion Township were “totally destroyed.” At least 16 individuals were hurt there, he said, although the injuries were not life-threatening.

“We found homes in the roadway,” the sheriff stated late Tuesday. “We found houses in our neighbors’ homes. We discovered huge trees in residences.

On Wednesday, the sound of chainsaws and tree limbs snapping filled the air as cleanup at a mobile home park began.

“The cleanup efforts are enormous. We’re looking at homes across this community that have been completely demolished,” Fuller said Wednesday at the Pavilion Estates mobile home park.

A house with seven occupants “is totally on its top,” he remarked. They were able to self-rescue, get somewhere safe, and come back today.”

Pavilion Township is approximately 137 miles (220 kilometers) west of Detroit.

According to PowerOutage.us, over 30,000 people in Michigan lost power early Wednesday, with another 10,000 in Ohio.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proclaimed a state of emergency in four counties.

National Weather Service crews were surveying storm damage in several counties in Michigan’s southwest Lower Peninsula on Wednesday to determine whether tornadoes touched down there, including the two reported Tuesday night in the Portage area, according to meteorologist Mike Sutton of the weather service’s Grand Rapids office.

He said the Grand Rapids office had received 11 tornado reports from storm spotters, emergency managers, and the general public between late Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday night, but no tornado touchdowns had been confirmed as of 8 a.m. on Wednesday.

tornadoes

AP – VOR News Image

Severe Storms Batter The Midwest, Including Reported Tornadoes That Shredded A FedEx Facility

“It’s possible that these are numerous reports from the same storm. The real number of tornadoes could be fewer depending on what they uncover while surveying,” Sutton said.

The storms on Tuesday followed a day of torrential rain, strong winds, hail, and tornadoes in parts of the central United States. Tornadoes wreaked havoc across the Plains and Midwest this spring.

Across the United States, the entire week looks stormy. The Midwest and South are likely to bear the brunt of the poor weather for the remainder of the week, including Indianapolis, Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis, and Cincinnati, which have more than 21 million populations. It should become evident over the weekend.

On Monday night, a catastrophic tornado ripped through the 1,000-person community of Barnsdall, Oklahoma. At least one person was killed, and another is missing. Dozens of homes have been damaged.

It was the second tornado to strike Barnsdall in five weeks; on April 1, a twister with maximum wind speeds of 90 to 100 mph (145 to 161 kph) damaged homes and blew down trees and power poles.

Oklahoma communities, including Sulphur and Holdenville, are still recuperating after a tornado that killed four people and left others without electricity late last month.

SOURCE – (AP)

News

Trudeau Rocks to Taylor Swift While Montreal Burns

Published

on

Trudeau, Montreal

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come under fire yet again after a video surfaced on X, showing him dancing at a Taylor Swift performance while anti-Nato protestors ransacked downtown Montreal.

Trudeau attended Taylor Swift’s concert in Toronto on Friday night. Before Taylor Swift approached the stage, X shared a viral video of him dancing and singing along to the song “You Don’t Own Me.”

The image of Trudeau dancing amid violent protests in Montreal generated widespread indignation online. Some social media users even compared Trudeau to the ancient Roman dictator Nero, known for “fiddling while Rome burned.”

Don Stewart, a Member of Parliament (MP) representing part of Toronto, called out the prime minister in a post on X.

“Lawless protesters run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances,” Stewart wrote. “This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.”

“Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved,” the MP added.

On Saturday, the day after Taylor Swift’s concert, Trudeau condemned the anti-NATO protests, calling them “appalling.”

Anti-NATO activists set off smoke bombs and marched through Montreal’s streets waving Palestinian flags. According to the Montreal Gazette, rioters set fire to automobiles and battled with police.

Pro-Palestinian protests

Protesters also tossed tiny explosives and metal objects at officers. At one point, the mob torched an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the gathering, and three persons were arrested for attacking officers and impeding police operations.

Masked protesters were seen burning flares and bashing storefront windows in videos and photographs shared on social media. Pro-Palestinian protests have been taking place across Canada since the Israel-Gaza conflict began late last year.

Critics have lambasted Trudeau for doing nothing to stop the violent pro-Palestinian marches, with some claiming he has fueled anti-Israel sentiment in Canada.

On Friday, Trudeau stated that Canada would respect the orders of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for Mr Netanyahu, even if it meant arresting the Israeli prime leader on Canadian soil.

Related News:

Trudeau Called the Greatest Threat to NATO

Trudeau Called the Greatest Threat to NATO

 

Continue Reading

News

Calgary Zoo Admits Human Error in Death of Baby Gorilla

Published

on

Baby Gorilla, Calgary Zoo
The zookeeper's negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla

The Calgary Zoo has admitted in a public statement that a zookeeper’s negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla. Eyare, a newborn gorilla, died last week after being slammed in the head by a hydraulic door.

The accident occurred when a zoo worker attempted to separate Eyare from the rest of the gorilla tribe for a solitary training session.

The gorilla died from significant head injuries, according to the zoo’s statement.

“This tragedy has struck us all in the deepest way imaginable,” Colleen Baird, director of animal care at the Calgary Zoo, said during a news conference. “Eyare’s brief but meaningful existence gave so much joy to our community, and all will sorely miss her. We will do everything possible to prevent repeat accidents.”

According to Baird, the staff member involved was immediately removed from the workplace and will be reassigned to another area of the zoo. The Calgary Zoo stated that it would take preventive steps, such as specialist personnel training and animal behavioral training, to avoid a similar incident.

Calgary Zoo Questioned

It is not the first time an animal at the zoo has died from negligence at the Calgary Zoo. A capybara was accidentally crushed by a hydraulic door similar to the one that killed Eyare in 2019.

An otter died in 2016 after being entangled in an “unauthorized” pair of jeans that a zookeeper had dropped in its enclosure. In 2013, a penguin died in “a freak accident” after swallowing a stick.

Animal Justice, a Canadian group that promotes animal welfare, has called for an independent investigation of animal safety and oversight at the Alberta facility.

“The Calgary Zoo appears to have a higher rate of animal deaths compared to other zoos, and in light of Eyare’s death there should be a systematic review of the zoo’s operations and practices, conducted transparently by the government or another outside party,” according to Camille Labchuk, the executive director of Animal Justice.

The Calgary Zoo refuted that it has more animal deaths than other zoos, emphasizing that it adheres to operating requirements and has maintained accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ independent Accreditation Commission since 1978.

“We love and care for more than 4,000 animals representing over 100 species that call our zoo home,” stated a Calgary Zoo representative.

“Human error-related deaths in animals are quite infrequent. We have lost two animals in the last ten years: a North American river otter in 2016 and ‘Eyare’ this week.

While rare, even one human-caused death is too many. These unfortunate instances have served as vital learning experiences, prompting us to examine and tighten protocols to provide the greatest level of care.”

Baird said at the news conference that using hydraulic doors is “common practice with accredited zoos,” adding that the facility will consider switching to alternate doors to improve safety.

The Calgary Zoo, which established the Wilder Institute in 2021, caters to nearly 4,000 creatures, including six more western lowland gorillas.

Related News:

Beluga Whales Dies at Canada’s Marineland

Outrage Erupts After 17th Beluga Whale Dies at Canada’s Marineland

Continue Reading

News

Canada’s Lotto Max Jackpot Climbs to $80M

Published

on

lotto max, Canada

Lotto Max in Canada has reached $80 million for only the second time in Canadian lottery history. Friday’s draw sought a winner for a $75 million pool, but the top reward remained unclaimed as of Saturday, increasing the jackpot.

Only once did the jackpot reach $80 million in September, when it broke the previous record. Before that, the prize was $75 million, a record.

The Lotto Max prize maximum was boosted earlier this year, enabling for jackpots of more than $70 million. The cap is now at $80 million.
While a greater fee may encourage more people to play, the odds of winning the lottery remain extremely low.

According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, the odds for a $5 ticket are around one in 33,294,800.

While there was no jackpot winner in Friday’s draw, someone did match six of the seven winning numbers, plus a bonus, earning them a payout of more than $320,000.

Lotto Max History

Lotto Max is one of three national lottery games in Canada, overseen by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation. The game was introduced on September 19, 2009, and its inaugural draw occurred on September 25, 2009. It replaced Lotto Super 7.

The odds of winning the Lotto Max are 1 in 33,294,800. This is correct to a point but misleading.

Let’s have a look at the rules:

  1. Players choose 7 numbers out of 50
  2. Numbers cannot be repeated
  3. Numbers are automatically sorted into ascending order
  4. Each play buys 3 lines
  5. Each play costs $5

Seeing that players choose 7 out of 50 non-repeating numbers, the equation for the total number of possible combinations (this is different from permutations where the order in which the numbers appear is significant) when playing the Lotto Max is 50! / (7! x 43!)

Continue Reading

Trending