Tornados kill three in central Minnesota

Video by PlumboStudios21

The Fergus Falls Daily Journal reports that one person is dead and at least three seriously injured after a tornado ripped through the small Otter Tail County community of Almora Thursday afternoon, according to the Otter Tail County office of Emergency Management.

Brittney Schulke of Almora told the Journal Thursday night her grandmother, Margie Schulke died from injuries sustained as a result of the storm. Her grandfather Norman Schulke was taken by ambulance to Douglas County Hospital in Alexandria where he was in intensive care with two broken shoulders, Schulke said.

Full story is HERE.

Tornado turns celebration to tragedy

WADENA, MINN., -- Thursday was supposed to be a day of celebration in the central Minnesota community of Wadena.

Instead, the area was devastated by a tornado that killed three people.

Reporter Steve Schutlz of the Wadena Pioneer Journal writes that a grand parade was scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday and around 2,000 people expected to come home for an All-School Reunion.

Thursday had been circled on a lot of calendars in Wadena for many months, but that all changed as quickly as the tornado ripped through a wide swath of this rural area.

Story by Steve Schulz is HERE.

Etheridge video linked to conservative ambush website

The video showing U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge of North Carolina manhandling a student interviewer first appeared on a website known for ambush techniques.

Etheridge on Monday apologized for his part in the confrontation.

Francis X. Gilpin of the Fayetteville Observer located in the Democratic congressman's home district reports that "the video surfaced on a website operated by conservative Internet guru Andrew Breitbart.

"A Breitbart website was the first place to showcase a video last year of workers for ACORN, a community organizing group, counseling actors posing as a pimp and prostitute."

The Etheridge footage quickly made it onto the Drudge Report website, where Breitbart has worked as an editor.

Gilpin also reported that Andrew Whalen, executive director of the state Democratic Party, doubted Etheridge's encounter with the young men in the video was a chance meeting.

"I think there was a coordinated effort here to get this kind of reaction," Whalen told Gilpin.

Read the complete story by Gilpin HERE.

While reporters keep cool with snowcones, Obama meets with Gulf residents

www.sunherald.com photo by John Fitzhugh.

GULFPORT, MISS. -- President Barack Obama returned to the Gulf of Mexico today where he met with locals, including fishermen, a shrimper and a restaurant owner.

Geoff Pender of the SunHerald.com reported that "after the meeting, Obama and the motorcade stopped at the Courthouse Road pier, where the president met with local residents while the White House press corps ate snowballs from a stand there at the beach. Obama, Barbour and Gulfport Mayor George Schloegel enjoyed snowcones as well."

Photos by John Fitzhugh are HERE. Story by Geoff Pender is HERE.

Watch live: Oklahoma flooding response

Live video stream from www.newsok.com

EDMOND, OK. — Diana Baldwin reports on www.newsok.com that rescue teams brought in boats and other equipment to help people trapped as waters rose throughout the city of Edmond on Monday.

Local parks in Edmond and Spring Creek are now closed and no new campers are being allowed in, according to authorities. Campers in two other parks have been moved to higher ground.

Officials are warning motorists to stay home.

Story by Diana Baldwin is HERE. Local weather is HERE.

First piece of debris from Deepwater Horizon floats ashore

Sarah Owen of the News Herald reports that a large piece of debris from the Deepwater Horizon has washed ashore in Laguna Beach.

The tank, with a BP sticker attached, is commonly used on offshore oil vessels to transport liquids.

Story by Sarah Owen is HERE. INews Herald photo gallery is HERE.

Nearly 400 sea turtles caught in oil spill

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association reports that a total of 387 sea turtles have been verified from April 30 to June 12 within the designated spill area from the Texas/Louisiana border to Apalachicola, Florida. Between Friday, June 11, and Saturday, June 12, 10 turtle strandings were verified (one live oiled from Florida, one dead from Florida and 8 dead from Mississippi).

The June 13, 2010 oil spill trajectory forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is HERE.