South-Carolina
At least 15 are dead after tornadoes rip through parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas
![At least 15 are dead after tornadoes rip through parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/51c0a99/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6665x3499+0+750/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnpr.brightspotcdn.com%2Fdims3%2Fdefault%2Fstrip%2Ffalse%2Fcrop%2F6665x4999%20402%200%2Fresize%2F6665x4999%21%2F%3Furl%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7a%2F8a%2F7eca39974a3fba293f0731834f21%2Fap24147575443078.jpg)
Updated May 26, 2024 at 18:41 PM ET
Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms ripped through parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas late Saturday evening and Sunday morning, leaving at least 15 people dead and causing widespread damage.
Around midday Sunday, some rescue crews in those states were still searching for missing people and digging out from the rubble, while residents in other states such as Kentucky and Tennessee were facing severe weather from the eastward-moving storms.
More than 400,000 residents throughout the region had lost power as of Sunday afternoon, according to the website poweroutage.us.
In north central Texas, Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington told the Associated Press that at least seven people were killed there, including two children ages 5 and 2.
In Arkansas, at least five people were reportedly killed in the storm. Benton County Judge Barry Moehring said one person had died there and multiple others were injured. “It’s been a difficult night for Benton County,” Moehring said.
Two people were killed in Marion County, one person died in Baxter County, and one person was killed in Boone County, local officials said.
“Bryan and I are praying for the communities impacted by last night’s storm and the families of the Arkansans we lost,” said Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said two fatalities had been confirmed in the town of Pryor in Mayes County.
In Louisville, Ky., Mayor Craig Greenberg confirmed one death.
Severe thunderstorms spawned destructive tornadoes in several states
The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas throughout the Memorial Day weekend. The NWS office in Fort Worth said one of the storms was expected to contain “golf ball sized hail!”
Multiple tweets from the meteorological agency Saturday night urged residents to seek shelter immediately to protect themselves from the imminent threat of tornadoes.
By Sunday morning, images of the destruction were beginning to emerge, and public officials were sharing assessments of the casualties and damage.
Denton County, Texas, said in a Facebook post that a tornado there overturned vehicles, damaged homes, felled trees and downed power lines, and that a “number of individuals with injuries” were taken to local hospitals.
Photos from Benton County, Ark., showed heaps of rubble strewn across a road and battered buildings, including a Dollar Tree.
The Cooke County Office of Emergency Management said the storm “caused significant damage to numerous homes and businesses, including the Gateway AP Travel Center, which received major damage.” The office added that there were “numerous injuries of varying degrees.”
Other states are preparing for more bad weather
On Sunday afternoon, a major swath of the U.S was facing an “enhanced risk” of severe weather, including large parts of the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys, according to the National Weather Service.
Severe thunderstorm watches were in effect Sunday for parts of Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia — with tornadoes and hail also possible.
“Additionally, heavy rain may lead to scattered instances of flash flooding with this initial burst of thunderstorms,” the weather service added. “By the afternoon hours another round of showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop along a cold front and impact similar regions, with the severe threat shifting further east across the Ohio Valley overnight.”
Copyright 2024 NPR
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
South-Carolina
Sheri Biggs wins South Carolina GOP primary runoff election to succeed Rep. Duncan
![Sheri Biggs wins South Carolina GOP primary runoff election to succeed Rep. Duncan](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/sheri-biggs-south-carolina-primaries-comp.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&1719387732&w=1024)
Sheri Biggs, a nurse practitioner who had the backing of Gov. Henry McMaster, defeated her GOP primary challenger in a Tuesday runoff election to clinch the Republican nomination to replace outgoing GOP Rep. Jeff Duncan in South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District.
The runoff election between GOP candidates Mark Burns and Sheri Biggs was triggered earlier this month after neither candidate received a majority of the vote in the state’s Republican primary election for the district.
Burns received around 33% of the vote, receiving a little more than 27,000 votes in the June 11 primary election. Biggs received about 28% of the vote in the same election, garnering just over 23,500 votes.
Biggs, a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, ran as a “pro-life, pro-Second Amendment lifelong Republican.”
“I’m running for Congress to continue my lifetime of service and treat Washington’s health problem with bold, conservative, servant leadership,” she said on her campaign website.
Biggs had been endorsed by Gov. McMaster and had also highlighted her commitment to work with former President Trump, despite his endorsement of Burns.
“Sheri Biggs epitomizes the greatness of the people of South Carolina — an unwavering belief in God, a commitment to selfless service and a true resolve to fight for our shared values,” McMaster said in his endorsement.
“While her distinguished military and health care careers are truly admirable, her passion to help heal our nation’s fiscal, mental and spiritual health problems is exactly what we need representing us in Congress. Sheri Biggs will work with President Trump to secure our border, protect tax dollars, defend our conservative values, keep the promises to our veterans and drain the swamp.”
Trump, in his endorsement of Burns on Truth Social, described the pastor as “an America First Fighter” who is “a good man, a hard worker, and will not let you down!”
Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK
The former president cited Burns’ positions on border security, upholding the rule of law, the economy and defending “our always under siege Second Amendment.”
Burns has touted his positions on the border and pushing back against the “woke” agenda. He had also loudly touted his endorsement from Trump on his campaign website.
A former member of the South Carolina National Guard, Burns set up a church in Easley and has embraced the label by Time Magazine as “Donald Trump’s favorite pastor.”
Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK
Duncan decided not to run again for the seat after seven terms.
Duncan’s wife filed for divorce last year, accusing him of several affairs.
“At some point in a career, one needs to step aside and allow others to bring fresh ideas and abilities into the fight for liberty,” Duncan said in a statement in January.
Bryon Best, who manages a Sherwin Williams paint store in Greenwood, won the Democratic Party’s nomination to represent the district in the state’s June 11 primary election, defeating high school science teacher Frances Guldner by more than 2,050 votes.
The district is a mostly rural area in the northwestern part of the Palmetto State.
A Democrat has not won the district since Lindsey Graham flipped the seat in 1994.
Burns and Biggs sparred with five other Republicans who originally sought their party’s nomination in the race for the GOP-held seat. State Rep. Stewart Jones; businessman Franky Franco; and Kevin Bishop, a former staffer for South Carolina GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, also sought the nomination.
South-Carolina
Pedestrian deaths have fallen for the first time since the pandemic
![Pedestrian deaths have fallen for the first time since the pandemic](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9bac479/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4197x2203+0+472/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnpr.brightspotcdn.com%2Fdims3%2Fdefault%2Fstrip%2Ffalse%2Fcrop%2F4197x3148%20507%200%2Fresize%2F4197x3148%21%2F%3Furl%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F27%2Fa7%2Fe6eec9de4432834c4114f488579b%2Fap388492863568.jpg)
Crossing the street is finally becoming a bit safer. After hitting a 40-year high in 2022, pedestrian deaths decreased in 2023, according to a report published Wednesday by the Governors Highway Safety Association.
The report shows a 5.4% fall in the annual number of pedestrian deaths, the first decrease since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The association’s CEO, Jonathan Adkins, says the progress is a step in the right direction.
“We’re happy to see it going down, but we’re not having a party,” said Adkins.
The number of fatalities — 7,318 — is still far more than in 2019, before the pandemic. But Adkins said there’s some evidence that new safety initiatives could be helping. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also says that overall traffic deaths are trending down so far in 2024.
Road safety advocates have pushed for a variety of measures, including lower speed limits, more sidewalks and better lighting in pedestrian areas. Adkins says that layering multiple methods is the key to preventing deaths.
“There’s a lot of construction going on across the country that’s making the roadway safer. We’re engaging law enforcement in some new and creative ways,” said Adkins. “We’re looking at vehicle technology. So we’re doing a lot of different things, and that’s a different approach to safety in the United States.”
He singled out California, which saw the greatest decrease in pedestrian deaths, for working closely with local governments. “That’s different than, certainly, historically in roadway safety,” he said.
Adkins says that the report’s findings could reflect the start of a new trend in pedestrian safety, as initiatives continue to be implemented across the United States.
“It’s really just started in the last few years. And so I’m hopeful that that’s starting to pay off,” he said.
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveals many pedestrian deaths in 2023 occurred at night in areas without sidewalks. They were most likely to involve SUVs or other large vehicles.
Copyright 2024 NPR
South-Carolina
Follow the race: Runoff elections expected to make big impact in SC politics
![Follow the race: Runoff elections expected to make big impact in SC politics](https://gray-wistv-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/P6SS6QS5QRBAVH2GPRLAHXYPW4.png?auth=bbeb5f44baf96c2e2c2e72c0d360b2acdd855ccec8d2fceef34c813b6b089fae&width=1200&height=600&smart=true)
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Around 30 runoff elections are taking place across South Carolina — many happening across the Midlands.
These are for races in which no candidate received a majority of votes during last week’s primaries, ranging from local races like sheriffs and county council to seats representing South Carolinians on Capitol Hill and at the State House.
- RICHLAND COUNTY: Rep. Thigpen, Councilman Walker challenge each other again for Senate seat
That is especially the case throughout much of South Carolina, where the vast majority of legislative districts lean heavily toward one party or the other, making them uncompetitive in a general election.
But the South Carolina Election Commission said runoffs are usually low-turnout races, with most garnering single-digit turnout among eligible voters.
MORE: Am I eligible to vote in the runoff today?
Eligible voters can also head to the polls on runoff day, which is Tuesday, June 25.
Polls will be open that day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the counties where there is at least one runoff. Check your sample ballot at scVOTES.gov.
South Carolinians voting in person, or if they are voting absentee by mail and returning their ballot in person, will need to bring a photo ID with them.
Check here for U.S. Senate, U.S. House results in South Carolina
SC Statewide Primary Runoff
Ivory Thigpen (D) | 0 | |
Overture Walker (D) | 0 |
Katrina Shealy (R) | 0 | |
Carlisle Kennedy (R) | 0 |
Chris Smith (R) | 0 | |
Jason Guerry (R) | 0 |
Austin Floyd (D) | 0 | |
Jeffrey Graham (D) | 0 |
Lindsay Agostini (R) | 0 | |
Michael Jones (R) | 0 |
Billy Garrett (R) | 0 | |
Charles Bumgardner (R) | 0 |
Johnny Felder (D) | 0 | |
Jerry Govan (D) | 0 |
Sheri Biggs (R) | 0 | |
Mark Burns (R) | 0 |
Sean Fogle (D) | 0 | |
Montez Haynes (D) | 0 |
Kayla Berry (R) | 0 | |
Abigail Ridgell (R) | 0 |
IncumbentWinner
Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here.
Copyright 2024 WIS. All rights reserved.
-
News1 week ago
It's easy to believe young voters could back Trump at young conservative conference
-
World1 week ago
Swiss summit demands 'territorial integrity' of Ukraine
-
World1 week ago
Protesters in Brussels march against right-wing ideology
-
News1 week ago
A fast-moving wildfire spreads north of Los Angeles, forcing evacuations
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago
Short Film Review: Willow and Wu (2024) by Kathy Meng
-
World1 week ago
Al-Qaeda affiliate claims responsibility for June attack in Burkina Faso
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago
Movie Review: Top 5 Movies to Watch This Father's Day June 16, 2024 –
-
News1 week ago
Mass shooting at Rochester Hills splash pad: Everything we know