Austin Wiebe's JOUR3101 News Blog

A deadly ice storm in the Midwest left over 40 residents dead and nearly a million people without power this week.
The storm, which struck hardest in Kentucky, took out power lines and froze entire water systems, leaving hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses devoid of heat, water, and power.
Officials encouraged residents to leave their homes and travel south if possible. Power restoration efforts may take days or weeks to complete in the remotest areas.
Many residents expressed outrage at a perceived lack of response from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
A FEMA spokesperson told USA Today that the agency has shipped over 50 power generators to high-priority establishments such as hospitals, nursing homes, and water treatment plants.
Additionally, the Los Angeles Times reported that Kentucky's governor has employed the state's entire National Guard to assist with the damage.
The American Red Cross has also opened more than 40 emergency shelters for residents seeking food, water, and warmth.
President Barack Obama declared the storm a federal emergency Friday. The outage is reportedly the worst in Kentucky's history.

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The people of Iraq held a peaceful election for provincial counselors Saturday in the first nationwide vote in four years.
Over 14,000 candidates vied for 440 seats in local governments in an election that, according to The New York Times, attempted to align provincial councils with Iraq's ethnic, sectarian, and tribal balance.
Even with an extended hour of polling, few incidences of violence were reported and there were no confirmed deaths.
Officials attributed the successful vote to the rigid security checkpoints and regulations that were in place throughout the day, including the temporary closing of most roads to prevent suicide bombings.
However, the closures prevented large numbers of voters from reaching their designated polling locations, many of whom were already confused as to where to vote.
Confusion regarding polling locations caused many voters to travel from center to center looking for their names on voter lists. Many simply gave up.
In spite of the confusion, voter turnouts ranged from 50 percent in some provinces to an estimated 90 percent in others.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki told The New York Times, "I am very happy today because all the indications and information indicate a big turnout in the voting centers. This is a victory for all Iraqis.�
Iraq will hold a nationwide general election later this year.

Posted by wieb0055 at 5:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)