U.S. Census' counting starts in Alaska
TOKSOOK BAY, Alaska -- America's decennial census began Tuesday in rural Alaska as it has out of tradition and necessity since the U.S. bought the territory from Russia in 1867.
The Census Bureau starts the tally in Alaska more than two months before the rest of the nation so it can reach residents in remote villages before the spring thaw, when they scatter to fish and hunt.
This year, the first people being counted are in Toksook Bay, a town of about 660 on the Bering Sea.
Steven Dillingham, director of the Census Bureau, will conducted the first interview. After the count, a celebration is planned at Nelson Island School, and will include Alaskan native dancers and traditional food, which could include seal, walrus, musk ox and moose.
Cold-air blast delivers chills to South
A blast of cold air drove temperatures below freezing in many states in the South.
In Atlanta, the chilly weather system dropped temperatures to the mid-20s early Tuesday, prompting city officials to open a warming shelter.
In the north Georgia mountains, the conditions were even chillier: A U.S. Forest Service weather station near Brasstown Bald, the state's highest peak, recorded a low temperature of 16 degrees early Tuesday.
In Alabama, Auburn was among the coldest spots in the state early Tuesday with a low of 22 degrees just before dawn. The National Weather Service says it was 23 degrees in Birmingham and 24 in Huntsville as the sun was rising. Below-freezing weather early Tuesday stretched all the way to Mobile, where the mercury dipped to 31 degrees.
In Mississippi, shelters were opened in the capital city of Jackson, WJTV-TV reported.
A freeze warning Tuesday morning covered large parts of southern Mississippi and southeast Louisiana, where subfreezing temperatures were common.
A similar freeze warning was in place for parts of southeast Georgia and northern Florida early Tuesday.
Today, a light mix of wintry precipitation -- including snow, sleet and rain -- will be possible in southeast Oklahoma and western Arkansas, according to the National Weather Service in Shreveport.
3 S.C. gunfire victims found dead in car
PINEVILLE, S.C. -- Three people who were found dead in a car in rural South Carolina appear to have been fatally shot and may have been involved in a crash, according to a sheriff.
The car was found in a field near Pineville, Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis told news outlets late Monday. Authorities responded after receiving a call Monday afternoon about a disabled car.
"It does appear that there were gunshots fired, but because of the wide area, we're having to painstakingly go through the scene to try to determine what happened," Lewis said.
The men killed were Martice Green, 23, Desmond Williams, 22, and Malik Gibbs, 19, Berkeley County Coroner George Oliver said. Autopsies have been scheduled for today.
Pineville is about 45 miles north of Charleston.
New Orleans parades to bypass hotel ruin
NEW ORLEANS -- Two major New Orleans Mardi Gras parades will alter their traditional routes to avoid the site of the partially collapsed Hard Rock Hotel that crumpled in October, killing three workers and injuring dozens more.
The intersection beside New Orleans' historic French Quarter where the hotel was being built has been blocked since Oct. 12, when the upper floors of the unfinished building collapsed, The Times-Picayune and The New Orleans Advocate reported. Demolition of the site isn't set to begin until after Mardi Gras, which lands on Feb. 25 this year.
The hotel was under construction at the corner of Rampart Street and Canal Street, a broad boulevard just outside the Quarter.
The Endymion parade is one of three "Super Krewes" that includes more than 3,000 riders across its 81 floats and draws thousands of revelers lining the streets to watch, according to the organization. In addition to a slight route, the parade will conclude at the Morial Convention Center rather than its usual spot at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
The Zulu parade, put on by the more than 100-year-old Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, is among the oldest parades of the Carnival, according to the group. It will also follow a slightly altered route to bypass Canal Street.
The city hasn't announced route changes for any other parades.
A Section on 01/22/2020