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Tracking the Tropics: New hurricane model uses supercomputers to predict hurricanes faster than ever

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A revolutionary weather model that accurately predicted the rapid intensification of Hurricane Ian will assume the position as the National Hurricane Center's premier hurricane forecasting model.The NHC said its new "Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System," or HAFS for short, went operational on June 27 alongside older models for the 2023 hurricane season. The system is the first new major forecast model to use NOAA’s updated weather and climate supercomputers.BackgroundAn experimental version of HAFS which ran from 2019 to 2022 showed a 10-15% improvement in track predictions compared to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s existing hurricane models."HAFS provides more accurate, higher-resolution forecast information both over land and ocean," NOAA said.HAFS can zoom in with a resolution of 1.2 miles on areas of a hurricane that are key to improving wind intensity and rain forecasts, the NHC said.During the 2022 hurricane season, the NHC said H...

Did Buc-ee's purposely misspell 'Howdy' on Texas billboard?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

TEMPLE, Tex. (WFLA) – Usually, when drivers see a billboard indicating that a Buc-ee's is nearby, excitement fills the air, but for motorists in Texas, a certain Buc-ee's billboard drew many questions. While Texas is filled with many Buc-ee's signs and billboards, eagle-eyed driver Tab Patterson noticed something a little off with one of the billboards near Temple, Texas. World’s largest Buc-ee’s opens in Tennessee, but it won’t hold the title for long The word "howdy" was spelled "hodwy" on the billboard. Patterson shared a photo of the misspelling on a Buc-ee's fan Facebook page, saying, "I need an explanation."As of now, it's unclear if the misspelling was intentional or not, but some Facebook users entertained the idea that the error was on purpose. "Marketing genius, served the intended purpose – everyone is talking about it," one user wrote under the photo. With more than 40 locations spanning across the country, the popular travel centers are mostly located in Texas. Howev...

MnDOT releases survey, website for 10 ‘Rethinking I-94’ scenarios

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has released 10 general concept options for reconfiguring a 7.5-mile stretch of Interstate 94 between downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis.The scenarios — which range from basic maintenance of the existing interstate to filling in the deep trench of I-94 until it is at-grade — are available online at tinyurl.com/Options94.Each alternative lays out possibilities for public transit and transit stations alongside general roadway layouts. The area in question runs between Marion Street in St. Paul and Minnesota 55/Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis. A public survey is available at tinyurl.com/Survey94Options23.MnDOT will spend the next year in a scoping process intended to further narrow the 10 leading options. A more detailed analysis is currently slated to take place from 2024 to 2027. A public presentation on Monday drew critical reaction from elected officials and advocates for a multi-lane, at-grade boulevard with lower traff...

CPW presenting first annual Kingston Photo Festival

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

KINGSTON, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Center for Photography at Woodstock is presenting the first annual Kingston Photo Festival. The event will run from July 21 through July 23. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The festival will feature numerous photo exhibitions, workshops, portrait studios, and film screenings. The event will also offer live music and a variety of food and beverage options. “We are thrilled to join the thriving arts community in Kingston and to welcome our partners and friends to our new home for a joyous summer block party,” said CPW Executive Director Brian Wallis. Albany home to unscripted productions during SAG-AFTRA & WGA strikes The event will kick off with an evening of photos and film curated by photographer Bill Daniel from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on July 21. Activities will run from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on July 22 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 23. The festival will be held at CPW’s future headq...

Queensbury arson suspect arrested twice in one day

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

QUEENSBURY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Queensbury man is in custody following an investigation into a house fire on Monday night. Colby D. Geever, 52, was charged with Arson in the second degree, Reckless Endangerment in the second degree, two counts of Criminal Contempt in the second degree, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Resisting arrest, Obstructing Governmental Administration in the second degree, and Other Vehicle and Traffic Law violations.  Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Troopers from the New York State Police responded to the house fire at around 9:45 p.m. on Monday. The fire was extinguished with minimal damage. Two adults and a child occupied the house but were uninjured.Police say the fire was determined suspicious. During investigations, Troopers learned that Geever contacted an individual residing at the location via phone and text on July 13. The individual had an active court-issued stay-away order of protectio...

Pizza Hut in Ballston Spa closes, joins 4 others

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Pizza Hut in Ballston Spa has permanently closed its doors. This brings the total recent Pizza Hut closures in the Capital Region to five. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The Pizza Huts that closed are:Ballston Spa, 2103 Doubleday AvenueCobleskill, 109 Barnerville RoadJohnstown, Route 30A, Johnstown MallAmsterdam, 4822 Route 30Gloversville, 195 2nd AvenueAll of these locations are no longer listed on the Pizza Hut website. The Cobleskill, Johnstown, Amsterdam, and Gloversville shops all closed after service on Wednesday, June 12. Pizza Huts in 3 Capital Region counties close It has not been made clear when exactly the Ballston Spa location closed. NEWS10 has again reached out to Pizza Hut for comment on the closures but has not heard back yet.In regards to the former Johnstown Pizza Hut, 7 Brew Coffee, an Arkansas-based drive-thru coffee chain, has proposed a location at that site. The plans...

Man accused of shooting at ex-girlfriend while eating in her car

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A Pagedale man is in custody for allegedly shooting at his ex-girlfriend while she was parked outside her place of employment.According to a report filed by the Crestwood Police Department, the shooting happened in the early morning hours of July 13, at the Mobil On the Run on Big Bend Road.The victim was on a lunch break and sitting in her car eating.Police claim Jaylin Perry, 21, walked up to her car with a gun and fired 12 rounds at the vehicle. Another store clerk and nearby officers heard the shots. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News SIGN UP NOW The incident was recorded on surveillance cameras. Perry was arrested shortly thereafter.The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Perry with unlawful use of a weapon...

Robert Hanssen, FBI agent who spied for Russia, died of natural causes at Colorado’s Supermax, coroner rules

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

Robert Hanssen (AP Photo/FBI, File)Robert Hanssen, the former FBI agent caught selling damaging secrets to the Russians during and after the Cold War, died of natural causes last month inside Colorado’s notorious Supermax prison, the El Paso County coroner found.An autopsy conducted by the coroner ruled Hanssen, 79, died of metastatic colon adenocarcinoma — or colon cancer.He was found dead in his cell June 5 at the U.S. Penitentiary ADMAX in Florence.Hanssen has been called the most damaging spy in U.S. history. The FBI agent, throughout the 1980s and ’90s, provided highly classified national security information to the Russians in exchange for more than $1.4 million in cash, bank funds and diamonds.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Robert Hanssen, former FBI agent who sold secrets to Soviet Union, dies in Colorado Supermax prison He was arrested in 2001 and charged with espionage. The following year, a federal judge sentenced him to life w...

‘Oppenheimer’ review: Impactful sound and fury in biopic from Christopher Nolan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

“Oppenheimer” is the biopic only Christopher Nolan could make, a three-hour experience with the ability to hold your gaze — and your full attention — while the fury of its sound rattles the theater auditorium in which you sit.The director of “Dunkirk,” “Inception,” “Tenet” and several other noteworthy films, Nolan is both the director and writer of the film, adapting it from Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s 2005 Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.”He offers a deep dive into the psyche of the theoretical physicist who led the U.S. government’s Manhattan Project during World War II and became known as “the father of the atomic bomb,” an examination that at times is served with near-nuclear force.It is incredible.Cillian Murphy — who has appeared in numerous Nolan films, including “The Dark Knight” Trilogy, but has never been front and center — portrays the titular figure with a steady and subtle touch. It is not a p...

Did Universal Studios trim trees to mess with striking workers?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

The Los Angeles City Controller's Office is investigating after several trees were trimmed near Universal Studios property on a day when writers, actors and other film industry union workers were set to picket during ongoing labor disputes.The trees were apparently cut sometime over the weekend ahead of Monday's renewed picket lines near Universal property, igniting concerns and theories about whether or not the trees were cut intentionally in an attempt to discourage protests during 90-degree heat.On Tuesday, Kenneth Mejia, the Los Angeles City Controller, announced that his office would investigate the tree trimming.The City of Los Angeles is investigating after trees were cut near Universal Studios property on the weekend of July 15, 2023. (Los Angeles City Controller's Office)The trees are managed by the city, Mejia said, and are "essential to providing Angelenos with significant environmental and public health benefits, especially during a heatwave."The city's public works bure...