(Reuters) – A manhunt was underway in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday for a gunman involved in four shootings that left at least three people dead and two injured, authorities said.

The gunman, who was described as a white male in a white pickup truck, went on the killing spree in the predominantly black neighborhood of north Tulsa early on Friday morning, said Tulsa City Council member Jack Henderson.

“People are fearful,” Henderson said. “They are afraid they can’t walk down the street.”

Both the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service joined local police in a manhunt for the shooter, said Officer Jason Willingham, spokesman for the Tulsa Police Department.

The FBI was seeking to determine whether the shootings were a hate crime, said FBI spokesman Special Agent Clay Simmonds in Oklahoma City.

“this is now a manhunt,” Henderson said. “They are working around the clock to bring this person to justice.”

Eyewitnesses told police that as the shooter drove through the neighborhood around 1 a.m. on Friday, he stopped several people who were walking along a street to ask them for directions, Henderson said. The pedestrians spoke with the man but did not know the location he asked about and began walking away. As they stepped away, the driver shot at them,

… read more at source

Manhunt underway in Tulsa after gunman kills 3

(Luis Alvarez – AP) Yes, this is a tired story, but the Donovan McNabb-Mike/Kyle Shanahan relationship became news again this week when McNabb flamed the Shanahans on ESPN, suggesting that their intransigence would make D.C. a poor fit for Robert Griffin III.

Whether McNabb had a bad relationship with his Washington coaches is irrelevant. Whether the next guy is doomed to such a fate is not.

So 106.7 the Fan put a fairly neutral observer, Casey Rabach, on the air Friday morning, and got a series of measured, thought-out and quite interesting responses.

Rabach said RGIII and the Shanahans were not doomed to squabble. he said he has nothing bad to say about his former coaches. But he also said he prefers a situation where there’s a bit more give-and-take between players and coaches, and that the Shanahans did not take advantage of McNabb’s strengths.

This was perhaps the key part.

“you know, all I wanted to do was win football games,” Rabach said. “That’s all I wanted to do. so anything that would have helped…put us in a better position to win football games, yeah, you definitely hope that. There’s definitely some strong egos in the NFL, and there [were] three of the strongest egos right there in Redskins Park. so it’s hard to fit all that together, and build a cohesion in such a short time. But definitely wish it would have went the other way.”

So was McNabb mis-used in Washington?

“I mean, that’s a tough one to answer,” Rabach replied. “Because Donovan knows what his strengths are. and were they using all his strengths to the fullest? No. But then again, we go back to that give-and-take, on both sides. Donovan’s got to understand that what he did in Philly for 12 years ain’t gonna be the same thing he was gonna do on another team. I think he was used in some [ways] very good, but I think there could have been some more give on each side.”

On McNabb going public with his critique: “Each player has his own way of dealing with it. Donovan definitely had more downs than his ups when he was with us in Washington, and there was hard feelings I think coming out of there….I think Donovan’s just a very truthful guy. I think he has very strong feelings and is not afraid to express them, ever. I think Donovan just wants to have his story heard. I think he was pretty quiet about the whole situation as it was going on. he was trying to put the team first and didn’t really want to air his dirty laundry at the time. Now it’s his time to come out with his side of the story.”

On the sour coach-quarterback relationship: “I think they asked Donovan to do a lot of things that he wasn’t comfortable with, and it was never a give-and-take kind of relationship. it was Mike and Kyle’s way, and only that way. I think Donovan wanted to change a few things to his strengths, and do things he knew he was good at. Mike and Kyle had one way of doing it, and Donovan had another way of doing it, and they just butted heads, and nobody was gonna give.”

On the Shanahans with RGIII: “the guy looks amazing on paper, looks great when he’s on the field. and hopefully they can mold him to the quarterback that they want and great things will happen for Washington. I mean, the fans have been waiting for so long for a franchise quarterback to be there, and on paper, the way everything looks, this guy looks like he could be the real deal. who knows if there’ll be give and take. you never know. Have Mike and Kyle learned from past experiences? they can only answer that question. But it’s gonna be a wait-and-see process, I guess.”

Whether McNabb is right about the bad fit: “No. No, I don’t think so. I think Donovan’s got a little bit better perspective, playing that position, but it’s hard to just come out and plainly say — before you even see anything happen — that it’s not gonna work. I mean, what he did in college and what he’s done to promote himself and be in the position where he’s at, the guy can definitely play football, and on paper looks to be a really good NFL quarterback. and just to come out and say before anything’s happened, I don’t think it’s the right way to go about it.”

On whether players should just do what coaches say: “you know, to be honest with you, I like the situation where there’s a give-and-take on both sides. I like an offense that tailors the offensive strength to the strengths of the player, [not] asking a player to do something that he knows he’s not gonna succeed in…Donovan knew he was successful at doing things a certain way for 12 years in Philly. you know, I don’t think you have to do everything that Donovan was great at. It’s hard, because the Shanahans have obviously a lot of good years and had a lot of success over the years. Give-and-take would have been great, though.”

On whether he’d play for the Shanahans again: “you know, I had a great experience with them, I really did. I had no qualms, nothing bad to say about them. Would there be some things I would fix to come back there? Yeah, definitely.”

Like what: “I think just the multiple egos in the locker room. I mean, it’s a tough place to play, just being on the downside of the franchise. there was obviously some great years there, and when you don’t play so well, it’s tough.”

Egos like Haynesworth: “oh, definitely. I mean, the Haynesworth situation was a freaking nightmare every damn day you came to work. I mean, there were a lot of great players that were in that locker room, but once in a while you get a bad apple that just makes it not so much fun to come to work. and I think Mike and Bruce have done a great job of putting together a good situation there at this point. I think they’re kind of weeding all that negative stuff out.”

Casey Rabach on the Shanahans, Donovan McNabb and egos – DC Sports Bog – The Washington Post

Rapper Coolio has been arrested and jailed at the same prison where his son is currently incarcerated in Las Vegas.

Cops found two active bench warrants out for his arrest after pulling the Gangsta’s Paradise hitmaker over during a routine traffic stop in Sin City on Friday morning.

Coolio was taken into custody and hauled off to the Clark County Detention Centre, where he is now being held on $5,850 bail.

Ironically, his eldest son has been locked up at the same facility since last autumn after allegedly robbing a man at gunpoint.

Grtis Ivey and his female friend Shantrice Wilkerson allegedly broke into an apartment and forced the tenant into a bathroom as they tore through the residence looking for valuables on October 29.

The pair reportedly made off with two laptops, two iPads, and a safe. both Ivey and Wilkerson were later identified by the victim and taken into custody by cops on November 14.

Ivey has since been detained on a handful of charges, including grand larceny, robbery with a deadly weapon and first degree kidnapping, and he is due to face a judge on Monday, according to TMZ.com.

A court date for Coolio has not yet been set.

–WENN

Coolio and son incarcerated at the same Las Vegas jail

Posted on Thursday, Mar. 1, 2012 — 4:10 PM

Keep up with the latest weather developments from the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service is forecasting a major severe weather outbreak for Middle Tennessee on Friday, March 2. An initial wave of thunderstorms is expected very late Thursday night and into early Friday morning. These storms may be strong with large hail.

After Friday morning’s storms, there will likely be a break in the weather with temperatures soaring well into the 70s or low 80s. Scattered storms are expected to develop quickly starting in the afternoon, with rapid intensification. The coverage of storms will increase through the afternoon, with a squall line eventually forming and moving across the area by evening. Damaging winds, tornadoes and large hail are all possible, including strong, fast-moving, long-track tornadoes.

Vanderbilt Severe Weather Warning System

Vanderbilt contracts with a commercial weather monitoring company to warn the university of severe weather approaching Vanderbilt’s main campus and Vanderbilt Health one hundred Oaks. if a tornado is detected and is within 15 minutes of reaching either campus, the Vanderbilt Severe Weather Warning System is enacted.

Electronic sirens on the main campus will sound, and overhead announcements at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt Health one hundred Oaks will notify of a severe weather threat.

The Vanderbilt siren has a distinctive tone, similar to an air raid siren. Click here to listen to a sound sample of Vanderbilt’s electronic sirens.

Metropolitan Nashville/Davidson County may also sound its sirens; however, the Metro sirens are not specific to Vanderbilt and are activated when the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for anywhere in the Davidson County area. The city’s sirens are high-pitched and have a steady, continuous tone. Click here for more information about the Metro Nashville sirens.

AlertVU

Vanderbilt’s emergency notification system, AlertVU, will also be enacted during a severe weather threat. AlertVU is designed to send rapid messages to the delivery points a subscriber chooses – cell phone (voice or text), land line phone or email account – in the event of an emergency that poses an imminent threat or danger to the Vanderbilt community. AlertVU is available free* to students, faculty and staff on a voluntary, opt-in basis. Information is private and will not be shared.

To register, update an existing account or find out more, visit the AlertVU website.

*There is no charge to receive AlertVU messages. if you choose to receive text messages, however, your cell phone carrier may charge you to receive them.

Tornado Warnings: what to Do

When the tornado sirens on campus and the overhead announcements at the medical center and one hundred Oaks sound, Vanderbilt Environmental Health and Safety asks that you warn others around you of the severe weather conditions, then:

• Seek shelter inside the closest building;
• Move away from windows, lobbies and doors to the most interior portion of the building or area of best refuge;
• Assist persons with special needs;
• Monitor TV and radio for additional information.

For more information about preparing for severe weather, visit the Emergency Preparedness and planning website. Also, updated tornado posters with information and instructions on what to do in a weather emergency are available and free to anyone on campus.

Contact: Johnny Vanderpool, (615) 343-4804 johnny.vanderpool@vanderbilt.edu

Severe weather forecasted for Friday, March 2

By Jason Mullins

Retailers throughout the Tri-Cities region are reporting positive numbers numbers for their annual Black Friday sales.

Not long after many people were finishing their second or third helping of turkey and dressing Thursday night, sales associates were stocking shelves at stores across East Tennessee. Historically speaking, Black Friday is typically one of the most important days for American retailers.

Last year’s disappointing sales figures have prompted many retail establishments to offer more incentives to consumers to spend money in the November-December sales period.

In an effort to attract more consumers through their doors, some of the larger stores in the area opened far earlier than in past years. Stores such as Target, Kohl’s and Best Buy opened Thursday night at midnight, promising shoppers highly discounted prices on clothing, home accessories and electronics.

Area Wal-Mart stores began their official Black Friday sales Thursday evening at 10 p.m. Steve Johnson, an assistant manager at Wal-Mart of Elizabethton, said “sales were very good. It slowed down a bit by late Friday morning, but we were very busy earlier in the day.”

He said electronics continue to be the most popular gift choice for shoppers. Johnson commented their sales of flat-screen televisions were extremely brisk.

Johnson City electronics retailer Best Buy also reported positive numbers for their Black Friday sales. “It has been absolutely fantastic. we had close to record-setting turnout when we opened at midnight. Our top-sellers were TV’s, laptops and (global-positioning systems),” said Best Buy Manager Ed Zabel.

He said a large number of people were waiting when associates opened the doors at midnight. many electronics retailers across the country offered heavily discounted prices to attract business Friday.

Some stores, including Wal-Mart, were advertising flat-screen televisions for under $200.

Other retailers have drastically reduced prices on other electronics, including gaming systems for under $100. Electronics retailers are not the only local businesses to report initially positive results for Black Friday.

Elizabethton clothing and home accessories department store Peebles said they were pleased with the early part of Black Friday. Although the store did not report a consistent number of customers in the morning, they noted that they were still seeing customers spending money for gifts. They said their top-selling item through early Friday afternoon was Columbia jackets.

James Ward,  a manager of Big John’s Closeouts in Elizabethton, told the STAR Friday morning their sales had been average since they opened earler in the day. He said he was hopeful that their sale items will draw both their loyal customer base and newer customers to the store.

One of the big winners on the Black Friday holiday was Mahoney’s on Sunset Drive in Johnson City. David Ramsey, who manages the outfitter’s department at Mahoney’s, said he was very pleased with customer turnout and their overall sales figures.

“The numbers have really been amazing. for the first 30 minutes after opening, we were packed,” said Ramsey. As of mid-afternoon Friday, Ramsey said “we were well-ahead of the numbers from Black Friday 2010.”

As far as their best-sellers, Ramsey noted Tom’s Shoes as an item selling quickly. “When a customer buys a pair of Tom’s Shoes, they will donate a pair to a child who needs shoes somewhere in the world. That’s a really great cause,” said Ramsey. He said other items selling well included fleece jackets, vests, gloves, guns and gun safes.

Ramsey said Black Friday is typically not the most important sales day for outdoor sports retailers. “For many of us, including Mahoney’s, Black Friday is not our top sales day. In most years, the last Satuday before Christmas is when we do the majority of our sales for the Christmas holiday,” Ramsey commented.

Area malls, including the Mall at Johnson City, were filled with customers. Early Friday afternoon around 2 p.m., the mall parking lot was at or near full capacity.

For those who decided not to battle crowds on Friday, many will choose to do some or all of their Christmas shopping through the Internet. Tomorrow, internet retailers will make their attempt to lure customers’ dollars on Cyber Monday.

The Internet’s version of Black Friday, Cyber Monday promises significant deals for consumers who want to avoid the crowded shopping malls, department stores and other retail establishments.

As part of their effort, some online stores will offer large discounts on clothing, electronics and other items. many will also provide free shipping to customers. The term Cyber Monday was coined in 2005 by the National Retail Federation as a way of marketing Internet sales.

In the United States, online sales for the Monday after Thanksgiving have increased from $610 million in 2006 to over $1.028 billion in 2010.

Last year, credit card giant American Express began promoting a marketing campaign aimed at increasing consumer spending at locally-owned businesses. Small Business Saturday was designed as a way to draw attention to downtown establishments across the United States.

Supporters of the campaign say Black Friday and Cyber Monday favor large corporations and big-box retailers, often at the expense of small businesses. Economists and local retailers are hopeful that positive numbers for the first weekend of the Christmas holiday will signify a profitable fourth quarter.

Sharing the cautious optimism of many local businesses, Ramsey said “if things stay on-track, we’re hopeful that it could be the sign of a good season for Mahoney’s.”

Area businesses report positive start to Christmas sales – Elizabethton Star