Midwest
4 people arrested in connection to 2 missing Kansas women: OSBI
Four people were taken into custody in connection to the disappearance of two Kansas women who were last seen driving through the Oklahoma Panhandle, The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) confirmed to Fox News Digital.
The OSBI confirmed on Saturday that four individuals were in custody. One was arrested in Texas County while the other three were arrested in Cimarron County.
The OSBI identified the suspects as 43-year-old Tad Bert Cullum, 54-year-old Tifany Machel Adams, 50-year-old Cole Earl Twombly, and 44-year-old Cora Twombly.
Officials said all four individuals were booked into the Texas County Jail on two counts of First-Degree Murder, two counts of Kidnapping, and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Murder in the First Degree.
While the arrests have been made, the women are still missing, according to OSBI.
FBI JOINS SEARCH FOR MISSING KANSAS WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA
Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, were last seen on March 30 heading to pick up children before their car was found abandoned near the Oklahoma-Kansas border, with “foul play” suspected, police said.
“We are still telling everybody in that area that if you know anything or have any additional information to please contact us,” Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation public information manager Hunter McKee told Fox News Digital on Thursday.
YOUTUBERS SEARCH FOR MISSING KANSAS WOMEN INSIDE ABANDONED HOME: REPORT
McKee told Fox News Digital on Monday that “it’s becoming more and more challenging” to find the women alive as the days mount with no signs of their whereabouts.
A missing persons advisory from the Texas County Sheriff’s Office said that Butler has “several tattoos, a Chinese symbol on her left forearm, a sunflower on her left shoulder” and that “Jilian has a butterfly tattoo on her left forearm.”
The alert describes Butler as being 5 feet, 4 inches tall with red hair and green eyes, last seen wearing a blue short-sleeve shirt and denim shorts.
Kelley has brown hair and blue eyes and was last seen wearing a long-sleeve shirt, blue jeans and tan or beige shoes, the alert adds.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.
Read the full article from Here
Indiana
Recorder Rewind: Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers Game 4 – Indianapolis Recorder
The Indiana Pacers now have a commanding 3-1 lead over the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Pacers defeated the Bucks in Game 4 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse 126-113. Check out photos from gameday below!
More NBA Playoffs news: Bucks, Pacers Game 3 photos
The Indiana Pacers have a chance to close out the series in Game 5 in Milwaukee on April 30 at 9:30 p.m.
This gallery was compiled by multimedia and sports reporter Noral Parham. Contact him at 317-762-7846. Follow him on Twitter @3Noral. For more Pacers news, visit our homepage.
Iowa
Here’s how you can help Iowa communities recover after last week’s tornadoes
Video: Drone footage of Minden, Iowa after April 26 tornado
Drone footage of Minden, Iowa after a tornado tore through the Pottawatomie County town Friday, April 26.
Provided by Reuters/Special to the Des Moines Register
At least 17 tornadoes occurred in Iowa on April 26, causing damage in several counties and significant destruction, including one death, in the small Pottawattamie County town of Minden.
That is the latest count from the National Weather Service in Des Moines based on preliminary reports and completed storm surveys as teams continue to evaluate damage and determine ratings for additional tornadoes in the coming days.
If you want to help support the communities and people impacted by the severe weather, here’s how.
How can I help, Minden, Iowa recover from the tornado?
Minden remained closed off to the general public as of Monday afternoon due to debris and the use of heavy equipment in the town. As a result, officials are asking that volunteers and organizations don’t self-deploy to the area, according to a Pottawattamie County news release.
Cleanup efforts and securing infrastructure began during the weekend, and as needs arise and safety conditions improve, officials will announce volunteer opportunities.
Monetary donations are encouraged for those who wish to donate to help people affected by the Minden tornado, who can then purchase what they need, according to the news release.
How to make Minden-specific donations will be announced in the coming days. Currently, people can make donations to the Southwest Iowa Emergency Relief Fund at givewesterniowa.org to support areas impacted in the region, according to the news release.
Readers’ Watchdog: Home damaged by weekend storms? Here’s what you need to know
How can I help Pleasant Hill, Iowa recover from the tornado?
Take an aerial look at the tornado damage Pleasant Hill suffered
A tornado swept through Pleasant Hill Friday, April 26, damaging a number of homes and power lines.
Provided by Polk County Iowa
The Pleasant Hill tornado, classified as an EF2, lasted roughly 12 minutes and caused one injury and damage to nearly 20 homes.
The city is not asking for physical donations, according to a news release on April 27. Financial donations can be made through the Disaster Recovery Fund, which the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines has activated following the severe storms and tornado that affected Pleasant Hill.
Grants are awarded to community-based organizations and service providers responding to a disaster and grants are made to meet the needs not already being addressed by existing resources and programs, according to the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines.
Pleasant Hill’s Facebook page encourages people needing assistance or wanting to offer assistance to call 211.
More: Parking is not allowed on some Pleasant Hill streets as crews clean up tornado debris
Looking for another way to help? Round up your purchase at Casey’s
Shoppers can round up their purchases at Casey’s stores in Iowa, Nebraska and Oklahoma as part of a campaign supporting the American Red Cross through May 10, said Katie Petru, a spokesperson for the convenience store chain.
Here are tips to avoid scams after disasters
People impacted by natural disasters such as a tornado should be aware of fraudulent contractors that take advantage of people in need of repairs.
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office has some tips if you hire a contractor. Here are several:
- Work with an established, reputable local contractor.
- Legitimate contractors rarely solicit through door-to-door, so be skeptical about who shows up at your home.
- Avoid paying large sums of money to a contractor in advance. If you have to make a partial advance payment for materials, make your payment out to the supplier and the contractor and insist on a mechanic’s lien waiver in case the contractor fails to pay others.
People should also watch for scammers posing as officials with government disaster assistance agencies, according to the Federal Trade Commission. You can spot an imposter because they’ll demand money.
But scams aren’t limited to those impacted by a natural disaster.
People wanting to help those impacted by a natural disaster should be aware of scammers seeking donations for disaster relief. Donate to trusted, well-known charities and verify its legitimacy through its official website as scammers may create fake charities during natural disasters, according to the FTC.
Paris Barraza is a trending and general assignment reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at pbarraza@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
Kansas
GOP lawmakers in Kansas are moving to override the veto of a ban on gender care for minors
“The language put in the bill is, in my opinion, is to try to prevent state entities, state employees, from promoting the use of different pronouns and, if you will, the search for gender change,” Republican state Rep. John Eplee, a northeastern Kansas family physician.
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