Free Republic

After spending nearly 23 years in prison for a rape he did not commit, Thomas Clifford McGowan on Wednesday heard the words that set him free. "Words cannot express how sorry I am for the last 23 years," said state District Judge Susan Hawk, moments after overturning his convictions. "I believe you can walk out of here a free man." McGowan, 49, won his freedom after a DNA test this month proved what he had always professed: that he did not rape a Dallas-area woman in 1985 and then burglarize her apartment. He was convicted of both crimes in separate...

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 525 PM CST TUE FEB 5 2008 ...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM CST FOR SHELBY... NORTHERN FAYETTE AND DESOTO COUNTIES... ...THIS IS A TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR THE WARNED AREA... AT 525 PM CST...A TORNADO WAS REPORTED. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR LYNCHBURG...OR ABOUT NEAR HORN LAKE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH. OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SOUTHAVEN...WHITEHAVEN...SOUTHWEST MEMPHIS...DOWNTOWN MEMPHIS...OLIVE BRANCH...MIDTOWN MEMPHIS...SOUTHEAST MEMPHIS...FRAYSER... GERMANTOWN...COLLIERVILLE...BARTLETT...ELLENDALE...MILLINGTON... LAKELAND...EADS...ARLINGTON...SOMERVILLE...OAKLAND AND GALLAWAY. .IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE...

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 417 PM CST MON JAN 7 2008 ...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM CST FOR KENOSHA AND RACINE COUNTIES... AT 413 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AND LAW ENFORCEMENT WERE TRACKING A LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR WHEATLAND AND NORTH OF NEW MUNSTER...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR... UNION GROVE BY 425 PM CST... KENOSHA AIRPORT AND KENOSHA ARPT(KENW) BY 430 PM CST... ELMWOOD PARK AND STURTEVANT BY 435 PM CST... DOWNTOWN RACINE...NORTH BAY...RACINE BATTEN ARPT(KRAC) AND RACINE BATTEN...

Earthquake Details Magnitude 7.3 Date-Time Thursday, November 29, 2007 at 19:00:19 UTC Thursday, November 29, 2007 at 03:00:19 PM at epicenter Location 14.921°N, 61.264°W Depth 145.4 km (90.4 miles) Region MARTINIQUE REGION, WINDWARD ISLANDS Distances 21 km (13 miles) NW (322°) from Le Morne-Rouge, Saint-Pierre, Martinique 22 km (14 miles) NNW (336°) from Saint-Pierre, Saint-Pierre, Martinique 23 km (14 miles) WNW (296°) from Le Lorrain, La Trinité, Martinique 41 km (25 miles) NNW (331°) from FORT-DE-FRANCE, Martinique 269 km (167 miles) NW (319°) from BRIDGETOWN, Barbados Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 5.7 km (3.5 miles); depth +/- 6.9 km (4.3 miles)...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE In response to Tuesday evening’s magnitude-5.6 earthquake near the junction of the Calaveras and Hayward faults, the following statement was issued by the California Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council, a panel of scientists chaired by the State Geologist that advises the Director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) on the scientific validity of earthquake forecasts and seismic activity in areas where damaging earthquakes have occurred in the past. “A magnitude 5.6 earthquake occurred at 8:05 Tuesday evening (30 October 2007). The earthquake occurred near the junction of the Calaveras and Hayward faults in the southern San...

0534 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 10 SW OWENSBORO 37.66N 87.25W 10/18/2007 DAVIESS KY EMERGENCY MNGR FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED NEAR THE COMMUNITY OF ST. JOSEPH. UPDATE AT 815PM...CONFIRMED MULTIPLE INJURIES REPORTED THROUGH NWS OFFICE IN LOUISVILLE. 0800 PM TORNADO NORTONVILLE 37.19N 87.46W 10/18/2007 HOPKINS KY LAW ENFORCEMENT UNCONFIRMED. SEVERAL BUILDINGS RECEIVED SEVERE DAMAGE. TIME APPROXIMATE. 0745 PM TORNADO 10 NW HOPKINSVILLE 36.96N 87.62W 10/18/2007 CHRISTIAN KY EMERGENCY MNGR UNCONFIRMED TORNADO REPORTED NEAR THE PENNYRILE FOREST STATE RESORT PARK. CONFIRMED DAMAGE WITH INJURIES. TOTAL INJURIES UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME 0058 UNK 10 SW OWENSBORO DAVIESS KY 3766 8725 WIDESPREAD DAMAGE REPORTED IN AND...

TROPICAL DEPRESSION FOUR ADVISORY NUMBER 1 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL042007 1100 AM EDT MON AUG 13 2007 ...FOURTH DEPRESSION OF THE SEASON FORMS IN THE FAR EASTERN ATLANTIC... AT 1100 AM EDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION FOUR WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 12.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 31.6 WEST OR ABOUT 520 MILES...840 KM...WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE SOUTHERNMOST CAPE VERDE ISLANDS AND ABOUT 2000 MILES...3220 KM...EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES. THE DEPRESSION IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 21 MPH...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 35 MPH...55 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS....

May 4 2007--A large tornado caused extensive damage in Greensburg, Kansas this evening. The storm hit the Western Kansas town shortly before 10:00 p.m. KAKE storm chaser Lanny Dean was just a few miles away when the tornado hit. Dean has seen several homes destroyed on the southern edge of the community. KAKE's Nick VinZant is reporting sigificant damage in Greensburg with houses destroyed and others seriously damaged. Stay with KAKE and kake.com for updates on this storm.

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX 758 PM CDT MON APR 23 2007 TXC151-353-240130- /O.CON.KSJT.TO.W.0022.000000T0000Z-070424T0130Z/ NOLAN TX-FISHER TX- 758 PM CDT MON APR 23 2007 ...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 830 PM CDT FOR FISHER AND NORTHERN NOLAN COUNTIES... AT 750 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AND STORM SPOTTERS WERE TRACKING A LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 9 MILES EAST OF COLORADO CITY...AT LORAINE...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR... ROSCOE BY 815 PM CDT... GANNON AND CAPITOLA BY 820 PM CDT... SWEETWATER BY 825 PM CDT......

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 755 PM MDT WED MAR 28 2007 ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 0752 PM TORNADO 1 E BIRD CITY 39.75N 101.51W 03/28/2007 CHEYENNE KS STORM CHASER DESCRIBED BY MEDIA AS 1/2 MILE WIDE TORNADO WITH POWER FLASHES. VIEWED FROM 2 MILES SOUTH OF MCDONALD LOOKING WEST TOWARD BIRD CITY

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 800 PM MDT FRI MAR 23 2007 ...TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN CURRY COUNTY UNTIL 815 PM MDT... AT 758 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AND SKYWARN SPOTTERS WERE TRACKING A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED IN CLOVIS...MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH. * THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR... RANCHVALE AROUND 815 PM MDT... A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM MDT FRIDAY EVENING FOR EAST CENTRAL NEW MEXICO.

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 229 PM EST THU MAR 1 2007 129 PM CST THU MAR 1 2007 ...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 PM CST FOR DALE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA... AT 125 PM CST...REPORTS OF A TORNADO NORTHEAST OF ENTERPRISE CONTINUE TO BE RECEIVED. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR BOWDEN TERRACE...OR ABOUT NEAR FORT RUCKER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR... OZARK...BLACKWELL FIELD AIRPORT...EWELL AND MARLEY HILL BY 135 PM CST... MABSON...BEAMON...BROWNS CROSSROADS AND DILL BY 140 PM CST... ASBURY AND SKIPPERVILLE BY 145 PM CST... THIS STORMS IS...

The ground on the western edges of Naples, Italy is rising, spurring worries of a possible volcanic eruption, but scientists now think they know exactly what is causing the uplift and may be able to better predict any potential eruption. Using GPS measurements, a group of scientists at the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology in Italy monitored the ground’s motions for several years, and based on the patterns they observed, they believe the uplifting is caused by magma intruding from a shallow chamber. The rising motions of the ground reached a peak rate of about three feet per year...

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 326 PM CST SAT FEB 24 2007 ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 0255 PM TORNADO DUMAS 33.88N 91.49W 02/24/2007 DESHA AR TRAINED SPOTTER RECEIVED REPORT OF CARS IN TREES NORTH OF DUMAS ON HIGHWAY 65. TIME REPORTED IS APPROXIMATE. PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 303 PM CST SAT FEB 24 2007 ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 0250 PM TORNADO DUMAS 33.88N 91.49W 02/24/2007 DESHA AR LAW ENFORCEMENT NUMEROUS REPORTS OF BUILDINGS DAMAGED IN...

LADY LAKE, Florida (CNN) -- Deadly storms swept across central Florida on Friday morning, damaging homes, toppling trees and sending trucks careening off Interstate 4, police said. The Lake County Sheriff's Office said there were "several" fatalities in Lady Lake, where at least two mobile home parks were hit. Authorities could not say how many deaths there were.

Updated: 06:15 UTC on 13 December 2006 Solar Terrestrial Dispatch www.spacew.com VALID BEGINNING AT: 00:00 UTC ON 14 DECEMBER VALID UNTIL: 23:00 UTC (5 pm EDT) ON 15 DECEMBER HIGH RISK PERIOD: 14 DECEMBER (UTC DAYS) MODERATE RISK PERIOD: 14 - 15 DECEMBER PREDICTED ACTIVITY INDICES: 15, 70, 30, 15 (13 - 16 DECEMBER) POTENTIAL MAGNITUDE OF MIDDLE LATITUDE AURORAL ACTIVITY: HIGH POTENTIAL DURATION OF THIS ACTIVITY: MAIN BELT = 12 HOURS MINOR BELT = 12-24 HOURS ESTIMATED OPTIMUM OBSERVING CONDITIONS: NEAR AND AFTER LOCAL MIDNIGHT EXPECTED LUNAR INTERFERENCE: MODERATE AFTER LOCAL MIDNIGHT OVERALL OPPORTUNITY FOR OBSERVATIONS FROM MIDDLE LATITUDES:...

China and North Korea have been fighting a minor war over the collection of intelligence inside North Korea. While the North Korean border is, technically, closed very tight, the border guards can be bribed, and North Korea has given up trying to stamp that out completely. So China is able to get spies (usually Chinese who are ethnic Koreans, as are millions of people in northern China) into North Korea, and use cash to recruit more North Koreans as spies, so that China will have a better idea of what is going on inside North Korea. This battle has been...

FOURPEAKED VOLCANO (CAVW#1102-26-) 58°46'12" N153°40'19" W, Summit Elevation 6903 ft (2104 m) Current Level of Concern Color Code: YELLOW On September 17, an explosion of ash, gas, and steam from Fourpeaked Mountain 320 km (200 mi) SW of Anchorage on the Alaska Peninsula marked the onset of unrest at this long-dormant, ice-clad volcano. AVO elevated the level of concern color code to YELLOW on September 20. Since then, AVO has gathered aerial and ground-based information and also initiated installation of geophysical instrumentation to better track activity at Fourpeaked. Based on our observations and limited geologic understanding of the volcano, it...

SUMMARY NOAA’s 2006 Atlantic hurricane season outlook indicates an 80% chance of an above-normal hurricane season, a 15% chance of a near-normal season, and only a 5% chance of a below-normal season. This outlook is produced by scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center (CPC), National Hurricane Center (NHC), and Hurricane Research Division (HRD). See NOAA’s definitions of above-, near-, and below-normal seasons. The outlook calls for a very active 2006 season, with 13-16 named storms, 8-10 hurricanes, and 4-6 major hurricanes. The likely range of the ACE index is 135%-205% of the median. This...

ST. LOUIS - Preparing for a catastrophic earthquake along the New Madrid fault is a priority, a FEMA official said Friday before a congressional field hearing on government readiness to handle natural disasters. "New Madrid is at the top of the list," Michel Pawlowski, section chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said. "It's our primary objective." Pawlowski told a congressional committee that FEMA has "significant concerns" for the potential of a catastrophic earthquake equal in magnitude to those that struck parts of the Mississippi River Valley in 1811-1812, and again in 1895. The estimated magnitude of those earthquakes is...