ReportWire

Tag: Kentucky

  • Josh Shapiro says Kamala Harris’ team asked if he was an Israeli agent during vetting process

    [ad_1]


    Josh Shapiro says Kamala Harris’ team asked if he was an Israeli agent during vetting process – CBS News









































    Watch CBS News



    Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro says former Vice President Kamala Harris’ team asked him if he was a double agent for Israel while he was being vetted to be her running mate. Political strategists John McCarthy and Lance Trover join with analysis.

    [ad_2]
    Source link

  • Cities Designed 1-Way Streets to Speed up Traffic. Now They Are Scrapping Them to Slow It Down

    [ad_1]

    Excessive speeding was so common on parallel one-way streets passing a massive electronics plant that Indianapolis residents used to refer to the pair as a “racetrack” akin to the city’s famous Motor Speedway a few miles west.

    Originally two-way thoroughfares, Michigan and New York streets switched to opposite one-way routes in the 1970s to help thousands of RCA workers swiftly travel to and from their shifts building televisions or pressing vinyl records. But after the RCA plant closed in 1995, the suddenly barren roads grew even more enticing for lead-footed drivers — until last year, when city officials finally converted them back to two-way streets.

    “The opening and conversion of those streets has just been transformative for how people think about that corridor,” said James Taylor, who runs a nearby community center.

    Embracing the oft-repeated slogan that “paint is cheap,” transportation planners across the U.S. — particularly in midsize cities — have been turning their unidirectional streets back to multidirectional ones. They view the step as one of the easiest ways to improve safety and make downtowns more alluring to shoppers, restaurant patrons and would-be residents.

    Dave Amos, an assistant professor of city and regional planning at California Polytechnic State University, said almost no major streets in the U.S. originated as one-way routes. Two-way streets were the standard, before mass migration to the suburbs prioritized faster commutes over downtown walkability.

    “One-way streets are designed for moving cars quickly and efficiently,” Amos said. “So when you have that as your goal, pedestrians and cyclists almost by design are secondary, which makes them more vulnerable.”

    But the propensity to speed isn’t the only reason one-way streets are viewed as less safe.

    Wade Walker, an engineer with Kittelson & Associates who has worked on street conversion projects in Lakeland, Florida; Lynchburg, Virginia; and Chattanooga, Tennessee, said there is a misperception that one-way streets are safer because people on foot only have to look one direction to see the incoming traffic. The confusion arises when one-way streets combine with two-way streets to form a city grid, he said.

    Pedestrians crossing a signalized intersection of two-way streets can expect to encounter vehicles in a certain sequence: those turning left on green, traveling straight, and turning right on red. But when one-way streets are included, there are 16 potential sequences depending on the type and direction of the roads that intersect, Walker said.

    “It’s not the number of conflicts, it’s the way those conflicts occur,” he said.


    One way to divide a community

    Louisville, Kentucky, about two hours south of Indianapolis, has been restoring one-way streets to their original two-way footprints. The state is leading an ongoing project to reconvert a stretch along Main Street that passes such landmarks as the Louisville Slugger Museum, the KFC Yum! Center arena, and a minor-league baseball stadium.

    One of the city’s biggest redesigns is happening this year in the predominantly Black western part of the city, where many roads changed to one-way routes in the 1970s to feed a new interstate bridge over the Ohio River. However, it decimated neighborhoods and cut off the once-thriving community from downtown.

    “All those mom-and-pop shops and local businesses over time kind of faded because that connectivity got taken away,” said Michael King, the city’s assistant director of transportation planning. “It just feels more like, ‘This is a road to get me through here pretty quickly.’”

    Within three years after some of Chattanooga’s two-way streets were transformed into unidirectional ones, business vacancies skyrocketed and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga became “landlocked” to prevent students from having to cross a dangerous road, Walker said.

    In 2022, almost two decades after the road was redesigned, he returned to find the college campus had expanded across it and business construction had surged.


    Converting streets and skeptics

    When Lynchburg, Virginia launched a long-discussed plan to change its downtown Main Street back to two ways, Rodney Taylor voiced concerns that it would doom his restaurant by blocking delivery vehicles. After the city completed the section in 2021, he acknowledged the fears were unfounded.

    “An important thing to do is to admit when you’re wrong,” he said. “And I was just flat-out wrong.”

    Many residents also changed their tune in Austin, Texas, when the city began reconverting some of the one-way streets in its urban core, said Adam Greenfield, executive director with Safe Streets Austin.

    “It just worked,” said Greenfield, who is now lobbying the city to do away with all its one-way streets. “That’s what you’ll find with these conversions — they’ll be done and then instantly people will be like, ‘Why didn’t we do this 20 years ago?’”

    After Chicago went the opposite direction last year and suddenly changed some of its two-way streets to one-way in the busy West Loop restaurant district, a politician representing an adjacent area got numerous calls from confused constituents.

    “Even if this was the right move to make these streets one-way, it certainly doesn’t make sense to not ask the opinion of the neighbors,” Alderman Bill Conway said.


    Opportunity in Indianapolis

    Now that Indianapolis has finished the redesigns for Michigan and New York streets, there are 10 other conversions on tap next, said Mark St. John, chief engineer for the city’s Department of Public Works. The total cost for those projects is estimated at $60 million, with around $25 million of that from a 2023 federal grant.

    James Taylor, who runs the community center near the old RCA plant, said it is too early to know the full impact. Some business owners, however, have signaled construction plans along the redesigned streets, which Taylor says still feel a little strange.

    “I’ve been driving around that neighborhood for 30 years,” he said. “It’s all kind of familiar, but you’re coming at it from a whole different perspective.”

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Judge Dismisses Louisville Police Reform Proposal With the US Department of Justice

    [ad_1]

    LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A federal judge in Kentucky has dismissed Louisville’s proposed settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over police reforms after the department withdrew its support of the plan earlier this year.

    The Justice Department announced in May it was canceling proposed consent decrees with Louisville and Minneapolis that sought to curb police racial bias and abuses after the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor that spurred nationwide protests in the summer of 2020.

    U.S. District Judge Benjamin Beaton wrote in a Dec. 31 ruling that “the responsibility to lead the Louisville Metro Police Department in compliance with federal law must remain with the city’s elected representatives and the people they serve.”

    A judge in May dismissed Minneapolis’ proposed consent decree, which places a federal officer in charge of tracking the progress of reforms laid out in the agreement.

    Justice Department officials under President Joe Biden’s administration conducted a multiyear investigation in Louisville prompted by the fatal shooting of Taylor and police responses to public protests in 2020. A draft of the investigation was released in early 2023, alleging the Louisville Police Department “discriminates against Black people in its enforcement activities,” uses excessive force and conducts searches based on invalid warrants.

    New DOJ leadership accused the Biden Justice Department of using flawed legal theories to judge police departments and pursuing costly and burdensome consent decrees.

    The consent decrees with Louisville and Minneapolis were approved by the Justice Department in the final weeks of the Biden administration, but the settlements had to be approved by a judge.

    Beaton wrote that his ruling “doesn’t prevent the parties from undertaking the hard work of reform themselves.”

    The city has initiated some reforms since Taylor’s death in March 2020, including a city law banning the use of “no-knock” warrants. The warrants were typically used in surprise drug raids. The city also started a pilot program that sends behavioral health professionals to some 911 calls.

    The city also paid a $12 million wrongful death settlement to Taylor’s family.

    Earlier this year, former Louisville Police Detective Brett Hankison became the first officer involved in the Taylor raid to go to prison. A judge sentenced Hankison to nearly three years in prison on an excessive force conviction despite the Justice Department’s efforts to reduce his sentence to one day of time served.

    Hankison shot 10 rounds after police were fired on by Taylor’s boyfriend from inside her apartment. Hankison shot blindly into Taylor’s windows but didn’t strike anyone inside or in a neighboring apartment.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – December 2025

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • ‘Wolf Moon’: 2026’s first full moon will also be a supermoon

    [ad_1]

    The first full moon of 2026 rises this weekend and it just so happens to be one of only three supermoons this year.


    What You Need To Know

    • The ‘Wolf Moon’ rises this weekend
    • It will one of only three supermoons this year
    • Saturday evening will be the best time to see it across the U.S.


    January’s full moon, called the ‘Wolf Moon’, will brighten the night sky throughout this weekend. It technically will peak at 5:03 a.m. ET Saturday morning, but the best time to see it will be after it rises above the horizon that evening. 

    The ‘Wolf Moon’ also happens to be a supermoon this year. This occurs when the moon is closer to earth (parigee) so it appears larger and brighter than normal. You’ll have to wait until November to see the next supermoon.

    Visibility looks good across the Central U.S. Saturday evening, but clouds could be an issue on the opposite coasts.

    Potential cloud coverage Saturday evening across the U.S. (weathermodels.com)

     

     

    According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the full moon gets its name due to it being a time you can hear the call of wolves. Though we know that happens year-round, the vocal calls of wolves can be haunting during the winter months.

    Other names given by various Native American tribes include Cold Moon (Cree), Center Moon (Assiniboin), and Freeze Up Moon (Algonquin).

    The next full moon will be the Full Snow Moon which will occur on Sunday, February 1st.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Meteorologist Ian Cassette

    Source link

  • ‘Wolf Moon’: 2026’s first full moon will also be a supermoon

    [ad_1]

    The first full moon of 2026 rises this weekend and it just so happens to be one of only three supermoons this year.


    What You Need To Know

    • The ‘Wolf Moon’ rises this weekend
    • It will one of only three supermoons this year
    • Saturday evening will be the best time to see it across the U.S.


    January’s full moon, called the ‘Wolf Moon’, will brighten the night sky throughout this weekend. It technically will peak at 5:03 a.m. ET Saturday morning, but the best time to see it will be after it rises above the horizon that evening. 

    The ‘Wolf Moon’ also happens to be a supermoon this year. This occurs when the moon is closer to earth (parigee) so it appears larger and brighter than normal. You’ll have to wait until November to see the next supermoon.

    Visibility looks good across the Central U.S. Saturday evening, but clouds could be an issue on the opposite coasts.

    Potential cloud coverage Saturday evening across the U.S. (weathermodels.com)

     

     

    According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the full moon gets its name due to it being a time you can hear the call of wolves. Though we know that happens year-round, the vocal calls of wolves can be haunting during the winter months.

    Other names given by various Native American tribes include Cold Moon (Cree), Center Moon (Assiniboin), and Freeze Up Moon (Algonquin).

    The next full moon will be the Full Snow Moon which will occur on Sunday, February 1st.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Meteorologist Ian Cassette

    Source link

  • ‘Wolf Moon’: 2026’s first full moon will also be a supermoon

    [ad_1]

    The first full moon of 2026 rises this weekend and it just so happens to be one of only three supermoons this year.


    What You Need To Know

    • The ‘Wolf Moon’ rises this weekend
    • It will one of only three supermoons this year
    • Saturday evening will be the best time to see it across the U.S.


    January’s full moon, called the ‘Wolf Moon’, will brighten the night sky throughout this weekend. It technically will peak at 5:03 a.m. ET Saturday morning, but the best time to see it will be after it rises above the horizon that evening. 

    The ‘Wolf Moon’ also happens to be a supermoon this year. This occurs when the moon is closer to earth (parigee) so it appears larger and brighter than normal. You’ll have to wait until November to see the next supermoon.

    Visibility looks good across the Central U.S. Saturday evening, but clouds could be an issue on the opposite coasts.

    Potential cloud coverage Saturday evening across the U.S. (weathermodels.com)

     

     

    According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the full moon gets its name due to it being a time you can hear the call of wolves. Though we know that happens year-round, the vocal calls of wolves can be haunting during the winter months.

    Other names given by various Native American tribes include Cold Moon (Cree), Center Moon (Assiniboin), and Freeze Up Moon (Algonquin).

    The next full moon will be the Full Snow Moon which will occur on Sunday, February 1st.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Meteorologist Ian Cassette

    Source link

  • ‘Wolf Moon’: 2026’s first full moon will also be a supermoon

    [ad_1]

    The first full moon of 2026 rises this weekend and it just so happens to be one of only three supermoons this year.


    What You Need To Know

    • The ‘Wolf Moon’ rises this weekend
    • It will one of only three supermoons this year
    • Saturday evening will be the best time to see it across the U.S.


    January’s full moon, called the ‘Wolf Moon’, will brighten the night sky throughout this weekend. It technically will peak at 5:03 a.m. ET Saturday morning, but the best time to see it will be after it rises above the horizon that evening. 

    The ‘Wolf Moon’ also happens to be a supermoon this year. This occurs when the moon is closer to earth (parigee) so it appears larger and brighter than normal. You’ll have to wait until November to see the next supermoon.

    Visibility looks good across the Central U.S. Saturday evening, but clouds could be an issue on the opposite coasts.

    Potential cloud coverage Saturday evening across the U.S. (weathermodels.com)

     

     

    According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the full moon gets its name due to it being a time you can hear the call of wolves. Though we know that happens year-round, the vocal calls of wolves can be haunting during the winter months.

    Other names given by various Native American tribes include Cold Moon (Cree), Center Moon (Assiniboin), and Freeze Up Moon (Algonquin).

    The next full moon will be the Full Snow Moon which will occur on Sunday, February 1st.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Meteorologist Ian Cassette

    Source link

  • Bond hearing for man charged with kidnapping missing Kentucky girl found in Montgomery County – WTOP News

    [ad_1]

    A 37-year-old is charged with kidnapping in relation to the disappearance of Wynter Wagoner. The 13-year old went missing in October and was found inside a Silver Spring home on Saturday.

    The man arrested after a 13-year-old Kentucky girl who had been missing since October was found in Montgomery County will have his first court appearance Monday.

    Christian Alexander Delgado, 37, is charged with kidnapping in relation to the disappearance of Wynter Wagoner, who went missing from Rockcastle County, Kentucky, on Oct. 14.

    Officials said Wagoner was picked up early from school by her foster parents and when her parents went to check on her, they discovered she was gone.

    Montgomery County police put out a release Saturday announcing Wagoner had been found with Delgado inside of a Silver Spring home in the 12000 block of Dalewood Drive after receiving a tip she might be in the area.

    They said Wagoner was taken to an area hospital for evaluation, but did not provide details on her condition.

    Her father, Dusty Wagoner, had pleaded for her to reach out in the weeks leading up to her discovery. The family offered a $5,000 reward for any information leading to her safe return.

    Police said Delgado is being held at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where he’s awaiting extradition to Kentucky. According to Maryland Court Records, Delgado has a bond review scheduled for Monday at 1 p.m. in Montgomery County.

    Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    [ad_2]

    Grace Newton

    Source link

  • Bourbon barrels enjoy second and third lives around the world, where they’re used to age other spirits

    [ad_1]

    This is an updated version of a story first published on April 6, 2025. The original video can be viewed here


    If someone asked you to name a product that was first made 2,000 years ago, still looks and works as it always has, and still plays a vital role in global commerce, would you be stumped? 

    It turns out, the answer is the simple wooden barrel. Almost always made of oak, barrels have a long and fascinating history. First built and used by the Celts and Romans, they have held nearly every commodity over the centuries.

    Metal and plastic and cardboard long ago eclipsed barrels for the shipment of most items, but as we first reported earlier this year, when it comes to wine and whiskey – especially bourbon whiskey – the oak barrel still reigns, not just as a container, but for the magic that the wood gives the whiskey.

    Bill Whitaker: Well we were speaking with someone. And they called a whiskey barrel a breathing time machine.

    Brad Boswell: I love that.

    Brad Boswell is the CEO of Independent Stave, the largest maker of wooden barrels in the world. Brad’s great-grandfather founded the company in 1912 in Missouri. It now has operations worldwide; we met him in Kentucky.

    Brad Boswell is the CEO of Independent Stave, the largest maker of wooden barrels in the world. 

    60 Minutes


    Brad Boswell: Most of our barrels would have useful lives of 50+ years.

    Bill Whitaker: Fifty plus years.

    Brad Boswell: Fifty plus years, yeah. Like, I’ll go to different places and look at barrels at distilleries or wineries around the world. And I can see barrels that my grandfather made, you know, in the 1960s. I still see ’em. 

    A barrel begins as a log from a white oak tree fed into what’s known as a stave mill, where it’s cut into ever-smaller pieces – staves – which are then arranged in huge “Jenga”-style stacks and “seasoned” outdoors for three to six months before heading to a nearby “cooperage,” where the barrels are built. 

    Brad Boswell: There’s no nails, look over here, no glue —

    Brad Boswell’s newest cooperage produces thousands of barrels every day.

    Bill Whitaker: How many of these go into a typical barrel?

    Brad Boswell: Typically between 28 and 32 staves per barrel.

    After a barrel is “raised” mostly by hand, it travels through a host of other steps and checks to make it ready to begin its life, including being toasted and then charred on the inside.

    raising a barrel

    The barrels, made from white oak, are formed from staves, between 28 and 32 per barrel.

    60 Minutes


    Brad Boswell: Most of the barrels we make today are bespoke. We know exactly who this barrel’s going to, which distillery.

    Bill Whitaker: How about that. How about that.

    The demand for such a huge volume of barrels can be attributed mainly to one thing: bourbon.

    Brad Boswell: President Franklin Roosevelt in the ’30’s became more specific about what bourbon whiskey should be. And at that time he said, you know, bourbon should be in new charred oak barrels.

    Bill Whitaker: So if it’s not in one of these barrels, it’s not bourbon?

    Brad Boswell: That’s correct. Bourbon has to be aged in a new charred oak container.

    That rule, plus booming consumer demand for bourbon starting in the early 2000’s, has been very good for the barrel business. 3.2 million new barrels were filled with whiskey last year in Kentucky alone, and more than 14 million full barrels are aging in the state, in massive warehouses known as rickhouses. 

    Bill Whitaker: How many– barrels are in this rickhouse?

    Dan Callaway: 23,500 on six floors.

    Bill Whitaker with Dan Callaway, the Bardstown Bourbon

    Bill Whitaker with Dan Callaway, the Bardstown Bourbon “master blender”

    60 Minutes


    Dan Callaway is the “master blender” for Bardstown Bourbon, a young but fast-growing Kentucky distillery.

    Dan Callaway: To make a great whiskey you have to start with a great distillate, a clear spirit. But then the magic comes from the barrel. The fact that it’s new charred oak, it’s just incredible.

    Bill Whitaker: So the– the barrel is– is crucial to your product?

    Dan Callaway: Absolutely. Depending on who you talk to– some would say 50% of the flavor, maybe up to 70-80% of the character is derived from that barrel. 

    The rest of the flavor comes from what’s known as the “mash bill,” grains like corn and wheat and rye that are mixed with water and fermented with yeast. 

    Despite bourbon having recently been threatened or hit with tariffs by other countries in retaliation for President Trump’s tariffs, Bardstown’s huge distillery is still producing enough new whiskey to fill more than 5,000 barrels a week.

    Bill Whitaker: You take the– the clear liquid, which is basically what people call “moonshine,” goes through this process and comes out as this beautiful brown, tasty liquid here. How does that happen?

    Dan Callaway: Yeah, so I always compare it to a seesaw, okay? So when it comes off the still– moonshine, like you said– it’s a seesaw that’s out of balance. But every year that goes by of the barrel aging, the seesaw comes into balance. And what the barrel is bringing is caramel, vanilla, baking spice – and all this rich, beautiful color.

    How can solid oak produce all those flavors and spices? Back where the barrels are built, Brad Boswell gave us a vivid lesson with a barrel that had just been toasted — a process that brings sugars in the wood to the surface.

    Brad Boswell: Smell that. Smell that. I mean-

    Bill Whitaker: That does smell delicious.

    Brad Boswell: It’s incredible.

    Bill Whitaker: It really does. It’s amazing. 

    Brad Boswell: There’s a reason why people still use oak barrels 2,000 years later. 

    Bill Whitaker: So when I’m sipping the bourbon, I’m sipping this barrel.

    Brad Boswell: That’s right, absolutely.

    After toasting, we, and the barrels, moved to the visually stunning “char” oven.

    Brad Boswell: So we’ll see this barrel coming through right here.

    Bill Whitaker: Oh, look at that.

    Brad Boswell: Yeah. So actually, the inside of the barrel is on fire.

    Bill Whitaker: They just light the barrel on fire?

    Brad Boswell: Yup, we light the barrel on fire, and that teases out more and more of the flavors. And we call that an alligator char, ’cause the inside of the barrel actually looks like kind of an alligator’s back.

    Barrels go through a char oven

    Barrels go through a char oven

    60 Minutes


    We could see that blistering inside a newly-charred barrel pulled off the line.

    Brad Boswell: I mean people, you know, expect this to smell like a campfire. It smells more like a confectionery product.

    Bill Whitaker: It does– I can smell the caramel and the vanilla.

    What that barrel can give to the whiskey is evident in these glasses.

    Brad Boswell: So this is the same exact distillate that came off the still at the exact same time, went into a barrel. Four years later. And this we just kept in a glass bottle.

    It’s also apparent in the taste. First, the white lightning…

    Bill Whitaker: Wow, that gives a punch.

    Brad Boswell: Yes, it does, it does.

    …and then the barrel-aged bourbon.

    Bill Whitaker: Oh, big difference.

    Brad Boswell: Huge difference. 

    Bill Whitaker: It’s smooth.

    Brad Boswell: Oh, it’s smooth.

    Filling a barrel

    A bourbon barrel getting filled. 

    60 Minutes


    Some of that smooth comes from temperature swings in the rickhouses, according to Bardstown Bourbon’s Dan Callaway.

    Dan Callaway: We want those swings. When it– you know, when it gets really hot, things expand, lets the liquid in. When it gets cold, it contracts. And it’s that natural progression of in out that ages the bourbon so beautifully as the liquid interacts with the wood.

    As those barrels are aging whiskey for four, five or six years, some savvy investors have figured out there’s money to be made!

    Chris Heller: Whiskey is an interesting asset, in the sense that as it ages, it becomes more valuable.

    Chris Heller is co-founder of California-based Cordillera Investment Partners.

    Bill Whitaker: So, explain to me how this works. You– you go up to a distiller and say, “I want to buy those barrels filled with what will eventually become bourbon”?

    Chris Heller: So, that is exactly right.

    Heller and his partners buy thousands of newly filled barrels from distillers, pay to store them as the whiskey ages, then sell them to craft bourbon brands.

    Bill Whitaker: What are your starting costs?

    Chris Heller: Somewhere in the $600 to $1,000 range is sort of the price of a new– what’s called a new-fill barrel of whiskey.

    Bill Whitaker: At the end, what do you sell it for?

    Chris Heller: It can be anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000, by the end.

    Bill Whitaker: That’s a pretty good return on your investment.

    Chris Heller: We really find it an interesting and compelling investment area. 

    Bill Whitaker: Nice way to say it.

    Whoever makes it, owns it, or ages it, when bourbon is emptied from a barrel after five or six years, that barrel’s life is just beginning, and it’s likely to travel the world.

    Brad Boswell: It’s real interesting that when the bourbon barrel is freshly dumped, there’s still around two gallons of actually bourbon trapped in that wood.

    Bill Whitaker: That has just seeped into the wood?

    Brad Boswell: That’s seeped into the wood. So then, a lotta the secondary users actually look forward to putting their product into the barrel again for four, six, ten, a lotta scotches 12 years, 18 years–

    Bill Whitaker: And it can pick up that American bourbon taste?

    Brad Boswell: Absolutely. Then it pulls out that sweet bourbon.

    That sweet taste in the wood makes used bourbon barrels very hot commodities.

    Jessica Loseke: We really view our role in the industry as moving as many barrels from the original source to the next stopping point as fast as possible. 

    Bill Whitaker with Jess and Ben Loseke of Midwest Barrels

    Bill Whitaker is seen with Jess and Ben Loseke of Midwest Barrels. The company’s Kentucky warehouse is stacked to the rafters with empty barrels. 

    60 Minutes


    Jess and Ben Loseke own Midwest Barrels. Their Kentucky warehouse is stacked to the rafters with empty barrels. 

    Ben Loseke: So we’re the next stop for the second use of that barrel. So in Kentucky here, we bring in barrels from all the major distilleries and then send them back out.

    Bill Whitaker: These barrels would be shipped out and then refilled with something else?

    Ben Loseke: Correct, yeah. So the idea is to get these barrels in here and out of here as quickly as possible. So we’ll turn over this entire warehouse every two to three weeks.

    Ben Loseke: Probably 70 to 80% of our business is overseas.

    It started as a hobby. While Ben was finishing his PhD in Nebraska, he began buying barrels, and selling them to local craft breweries.

    Bill Whitaker: You said that a few barrels– were a big order in the beginning. (LAUGH)

    Ben Loseke: Yeah.

    Bill Whitaker: What’s a big order today?

    Ben Loseke: 10,000.

    Bill Whitaker: 10,000?

    Ben Loseke: Yeah, yeah. India, and China, and Scotland, and Ireland are, by far, our four biggest markets.

    The Kentucky Distillers’ Association says that the state exported more than $300 million worth of used barrels last year…just to Scotland, where they’ll be used to age scotch whisky for up to 40 years!

    Bill Whitaker: Could you just tick off for me the different spirits that these barrels will hold?

    Brad Boswell: They start with bourbon, Tennessee whiskey, scotch whiskey, tequila, rum, pisco made in Peru, cachaça made in Brazil will use these barrels.

    Bill Whitaker: Beer.

    Brad Boswell: Beer uses them. These barrels for sure end up in China. A lotta these barrels end up in Japan. It’s –it’s everywhere.

    Dan Callaway: Beautiful.

    Now, master blenders like Bardstown’s Dan Callaway – 

    Dan Callaway: This will be cask strength, direct from the barrel. 

    — Are bringing barrels back to Kentucky to do special “finishes” for their whiskeys.

    Dan Callaway: So this is the first of its kind. It is an American whiskey finished in Indian whiskey barrels. Okay. Indian whiskey is traditionally aged in a bourbon barrel. So the physical barrel has left Kentucky, gone to Bangalore, filled with a — a barley and then sent back here.

    Callaway finished this whiskey in those barrels for 17 months.

    Bill Whitaker: My God, that’s good.

    Dan Callaway: Yeah.

    One of Dan Callaway’s newest creations, called Cathedral, may be his most miraculous yet.

    Dan Callaway: We sourced wood in the Loire Valley, the Bercé forest. And this plot, this lot in the forest was selected to repair Notre Dame after the fires. So most of the wood went there. We were fortunate to obtain six barrels made from that wood. And we picked our– our best stocks of Kentucky bourbon up to 19 years old. Filled the barrels. They age for 14 months. 

    Bill Whitaker: You know how wild that is?

    Dan Callaway: Yeah.

    Bill Whitaker: That the beams that restored Notre Dame come from the same forest as your casks?

    Dan Callaway: The same lot.

    Bill Whitaker: Now that’s a story to tell.

    Dan Callaway: Absolutely.

    …and a whiskey to taste.

    Bill Whitaker: Ahhh. 

    Dan Callaway: It’s nice.

    When Bardstown put that Cathedral bourbon on sale earlier this year, bottles sold out in near-record time. Remember, they only made six barrels full. Now on the secondary market, Cathedral is listed for as much as $2,000 a bottle!

    Produced by Rome Hartman. Associate producer, Matthew Riley. Broadcast associate, Mariah Johnson. Edited by Craig Crawford.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Missing Kentucky girl found in Montgomery County after 2 month search – WTOP News

    [ad_1]

    A 13-year-old Kentucky girl who had been missing since October was found in Montgomery County, Maryland, on Saturday.

    13-year-old Wynter Wagoner disappeared from her foster home bedroom on Oct. 14, and her family is doing everything they can to bring her home.(Credit WLEX via CNN)

    A 13-year-old Kentucky girl who had been missing since October was found in Montgomery County, Maryland, on Saturday.

    Montgomery County police said in a release Saturday afternoon that Wynter Wagoner, 13, was located in a Silver Spring home in the 12000 block of Dalewood Drive.

    The Rockcastle Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post that Wagoner was last seen in Orlando, Kentucky, on Oct. 14.

    Her father, Dusty Wagoner, had pleaded for her to reach out in the weeks leading up to her discovery. The family offered a $5,000 reward for any information that would lead to her safe return.

    At an Oct. 22 news conference, officials said Wagoner was picked up early from school by her foster parents and when her parents went to check on her, they discovered she was gone.

    Police and U.S. Marshals arrested 37-year-old Christian Alexander Delgado in connection with the case. The Rockcastle Sheriff’s Office is charging Delgado with kidnapping.

    He’s awaiting extradition to Kentucky.

    Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    [ad_2]

    Will Vitka

    Source link

  • Kentucky congressman announces death of longtime aide and campaign manager

    [ad_1]

    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., announced the death of his longtime aide and campaign manager on Christmas Day, a passing which “shocked” those who knew her during the holiday. 

    The congressman and Senate candidate posted about the passing of his deputy chief of staff and campaign manager Tatum Dale on Thursday, noting the contributions she made not only to his current office, but to his mission to serve in statewide office. 

    “For over 15 years, Tatum was the heart and soul of my team,” Barr posted to X. “With Tatum’s leadership, my office favorably closed thousands of cases for Kentuckians—helping veterans, seniors, and families throughout our district. She fought to deliver funds to support dozens of community projects across our Commonwealth.”

    Barr praised Dale’s 15 years of service and dedication to Kentuckians, as political allies and rivals alike honored her legacy and expressed condolences. (Andy Barr via X)

    “She loved helping people and was a servant of others, just as Christ envisioned us all to be. Maybe that’s why her birth in heaven is a shared birthday with our Lord and Savior,” Barr continued. “While our hearts are broken, our team finds peace and hope knowing that Tatum is now home with Christ, resting comfortably in the arms of her Savior.”

    2021 AFGHAN REMARKS HAUNT GOP LAWMAKER’S SENATE BID AFTER DC GUARD SHOOTING

    Barr’s run to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell, who announced his retirement in February, has been a battle between GOP candidates in the early stages of the race. 

    Despite the competition, former Kentucky attorney general and gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron set aside their differences to weigh in on the passing of Dale. 

    “Tatum Dale was a friend,” Cameron posted on social media. “She will be truly missed.”

    Kentucky congressman and senate candidate Andy Barr.

    Congressman Andy Barr announced the death of his longtime aide and campaign manager, Tatum Dale, prompting tributes from colleagues across the GOP. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

    ‘AMERICA FIRST’ ATTORNEY GENERAL DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM MCCONNELL — HIS FORMER BOSS — AS KENTUCKY RACE DEFINES GOP FUTURE

    “Makenze and I will be praying for her family and all of Team Barr,” Cameron added.

    Cameron’s post was joined by several others who posted to social media in remembrance of the staffer.

    GOP strategist and communications director for Montana governor Greg Gianforte said he was shocked by the news and that “Tatum was one of those hardworking people who seemed to be at every GOP event.”

    GOP REP GEARS UP FOR POTENTIAL REMATCH AGAINST PROGRESSIVE ‘DARLING’ IN BID TO SUCCEED MCCONNELL

    Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr and Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron are vying to replace Mitch McConnell.

    Daniel Cameron, former Kentucky Attorney General and U.S. Senate candidate, set aside their differences to weigh in on the death of Barr’s longtime staffer. (Reuters)

    Dale originally joined Barr’s Washington DC office in 2013 as a scheduler. She then returned to Kentucky, where she served as a district representative, field operations director, district deputy director, district director and deputy chief of staff.

    She was born in Murray. Kentucky, and attended the University of Kentucky, according to Barr.

    The cause of death is not currently clear.

    CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

    “She made me a better Congressman, our staff better public servants, and we will all miss her forever,” Barr posted. “From Murray to Lexington and everywhere in the Commonwealth that she touched, we hope you will all join us in praying for Tatum’s family and friends—and be forever inspired by her memory to serve others.”

    Fox News Digital reached out to Barr’s office for comment.

    Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • How some of Santa’s little reindeer relate to the weather

    [ad_1]

    We all know that Santa travels the world on Christmas Eve on a sleigh pulled by eight… no, nine, reindeer! But are you aware of the weather tie-ins with Santa and his reindeer?


    What You Need To Know

    • Two reindeer are named after weather phenomena
    • Rudolph saved the day one Christmas Eve when fog covered most of the Earth
    • Santa uses forecasts from local meteorologists to plan his Christmas Eve flight

    (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

    We’ve all heard the tale of Rudolph, and we’ll cover that part of the story in a moment, but first, let’s start with two of Santa’s original reindeer.

    The original eight

    You know Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid, and Donner and Blitzen, but did you know that two of the reindeer are named after weather phenomena?

    But which ones?

    If you guessed Donner and Blitzen, you are correct!

    Donner, also sometimes called Donder or Dunder, is named after thunder. The name comes from the Dutch word for thunder.

    Blitzen, also spelled Blixen and Blixem, is named after lightning. The name also comes from a Dutch word meaning lightning.

    Santa’s reindeer were never officially named until the 1823 release of the poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” also known as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” by Clement C. Moore.

    (AP Photo/Malin Moberg)

    Here’s an interesting reindeer fact.

    In the story “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus” by L. Frank Baum, the author listed ten reindeer. Flossie and Glossie are Santa’s lead reindeer, while Racer and Pacer, Fearless and Peerless, Ready and Steady, and Feckless and Speckless are the rest of the team. 

    None of these names are weather-related terms.

    No offense to L. Frank Baum, but I’m glad we stuck with Clement C. Moore’s names for Santa’s reindeer.

    Rudolph leads the way

    I think we all know the story of Rudolph.

    This iconic reindeer showed up in 1939. Looked upon as a misfit (aren’t we all in some way), the other reindeer rejected Rudolph and made fun of him because of his red, glowing nose. Though that “little” abnormality came in handy “one foggy Christmas Eve.”

    In an unprecedented weather event, one never seen before or seen since, an “outbreak” of fog blanketed most of the planet, and it became impossible for Santa to make his flight on Christmas Eve around the world. 

    All was lost until Santa realized that Rudolph and his incredible nose could lead the way.

    This was Rudolph’s time to shine. (Pun intended.)

    (File Photo)

    And the rest is history. From that time on, Rudolph has been Santa’s lead reindeer.

    Santa’s Christmas Eve forecast

    Something you may not know is Santa Claus has a weather forecasting team at the North Pole.

    Some elves specialize in forecasting the weather around the world. These meteorologists give Santa an overview of the weather around the globe on Christmas Eve, but Santa depends on local National Weather Service and TV meteorologists to provide him forecasts for cities along his flight path.

    My daughter found out about this during a visit with Santa when she was about six years old.

    I had taken her and her younger brother to see Santa a few days before Christmas. As we were next in line, Santa saw us, stood up, walked over to me and asked, “Gary, what kind of weather am I looking at on Christmas Eve?”

    I gave him a quick forecast, he thanked me, walked back over to his chair and sat down as the next child climbed on his lap.

    The expression on my daughter’s face was priceless.

    “Santa knows you?” she asked as she looked up at me with a look of shock, confusion and pride. “Well, of course he does. Who do you think he gets his forecast from for this area? I’m a pilot, and he’s a pilot. I’m the perfect person to give him a ‘flight weather briefing.’”

    Talk about a priceless memory that I will always remember.

    (Gary Stephenson)

    In the Christmas Eve sky

    So on Christmas Eve night, if your skies are clear, look to the sky. You might see a red light moving across the sky. More than likely, it’s the beacon on an airplane, but it might, just might, be the glow of Rudolph’s red nose.

    And if the weather is not so clear, rest well knowing that Santa’s got a well-trained team of reindeer pulling the sleigh and an accurate forecast so he can safely complete his Christmas Eve journey around the Earth.

    I’ll finish my story with these final words.

    My wish for all of you is to have a safe and Merry Christmas. And to Santa and the reindeer, have a good flight!

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Chief Meteorologist Gary Stephenson

    Source link

  • How some of Santa’s little reindeer relate to the weather

    [ad_1]

    We all know that Santa travels the world on Christmas Eve on a sleigh pulled by eight… no, nine, reindeer! But are you aware of the weather tie-ins with Santa and his reindeer?


    What You Need To Know

    • Two reindeer are named after weather phenomena
    • Rudolph saved the day one Christmas Eve when fog covered most of the Earth
    • Santa uses forecasts from local meteorologists to plan his Christmas Eve flight

    (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

    We’ve all heard the tale of Rudolph, and we’ll cover that part of the story in a moment, but first, let’s start with two of Santa’s original reindeer.

    The original eight

    You know Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid, and Donner and Blitzen, but did you know that two of the reindeer are named after weather phenomena?

    But which ones?

    If you guessed Donner and Blitzen, you are correct!

    Donner, also sometimes called Donder or Dunder, is named after thunder. The name comes from the Dutch word for thunder.

    Blitzen, also spelled Blixen and Blixem, is named after lightning. The name also comes from a Dutch word meaning lightning.

    Santa’s reindeer were never officially named until the 1823 release of the poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” also known as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” by Clement C. Moore.

    (AP Photo/Malin Moberg)

    Here’s an interesting reindeer fact.

    In the story “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus” by L. Frank Baum, the author listed ten reindeer. Flossie and Glossie are Santa’s lead reindeer, while Racer and Pacer, Fearless and Peerless, Ready and Steady, and Feckless and Speckless are the rest of the team. 

    None of these names are weather-related terms.

    No offense to L. Frank Baum, but I’m glad we stuck with Clement C. Moore’s names for Santa’s reindeer.

    Rudolph leads the way

    I think we all know the story of Rudolph.

    This iconic reindeer showed up in 1939. Looked upon as a misfit (aren’t we all in some way), the other reindeer rejected Rudolph and made fun of him because of his red, glowing nose. Though that “little” abnormality came in handy “one foggy Christmas Eve.”

    In an unprecedented weather event, one never seen before or seen since, an “outbreak” of fog blanketed most of the planet, and it became impossible for Santa to make his flight on Christmas Eve around the world. 

    All was lost until Santa realized that Rudolph and his incredible nose could lead the way.

    This was Rudolph’s time to shine. (Pun intended.)

    (File Photo)

    And the rest is history. From that time on, Rudolph has been Santa’s lead reindeer.

    Santa’s Christmas Eve forecast

    Something you may not know is Santa Claus has a weather forecasting team at the North Pole.

    Some elves specialize in forecasting the weather around the world. These meteorologists give Santa an overview of the weather around the globe on Christmas Eve, but Santa depends on local National Weather Service and TV meteorologists to provide him forecasts for cities along his flight path.

    My daughter found out about this during a visit with Santa when she was about six years old.

    I had taken her and her younger brother to see Santa a few days before Christmas. As we were next in line, Santa saw us, stood up, walked over to me and asked, “Gary, what kind of weather am I looking at on Christmas Eve?”

    I gave him a quick forecast, he thanked me, walked back over to his chair and sat down as the next child climbed on his lap.

    The expression on my daughter’s face was priceless.

    “Santa knows you?” she asked as she looked up at me with a look of shock, confusion and pride. “Well, of course he does. Who do you think he gets his forecast from for this area? I’m a pilot, and he’s a pilot. I’m the perfect person to give him a ‘flight weather briefing.’”

    Talk about a priceless memory that I will always remember.

    (Gary Stephenson)

    In the Christmas Eve sky

    So on Christmas Eve night, if your skies are clear, look to the sky. You might see a red light moving across the sky. More than likely, it’s the beacon on an airplane, but it might, just might, be the glow of Rudolph’s red nose.

    And if the weather is not so clear, rest well knowing that Santa’s got a well-trained team of reindeer pulling the sleigh and an accurate forecast so he can safely complete his Christmas Eve journey around the Earth.

    I’ll finish my story with these final words.

    My wish for all of you is to have a safe and Merry Christmas. And to Santa and the reindeer, have a good flight!

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Chief Meteorologist Gary Stephenson

    Source link

  • 2025: Weather in Review

    [ad_1]

    As we close out 2025, here’s a look back at the wild weather experienced this year. From snow to wildfires to tornadoes to flooding, 2025 will be one for the record books.


    What You Need To Know

    • Record snow fell in southern states, including Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, in January
    • A tornado outbreak in May saw an EF3 in St. Louis and an EF4 in south-central Kentucky
    • For the first time in a decade, no hurricane made landfall in the United States



    It didn’t take long into the New Year for Mother Nature to become active.

    First big storm of the season Jan 3. to Jan 6

    On Jan. 3, a storm system moved onshore along the West Coast, producing snow in the mountains of Washington and Montana. The southern side of the storm produced severe weather, including the first tornado of the year in Northern California.

    As it moved east across the Great Plains and Midwest on Jan. 4 and 5, it intensified and pulled in moisture from the Gulf. Parts of Kansas, including the Kansas City metro, saw upwards of 12 to 18 inches of snow, nearly a season’s worth in one storm.

    The St. Louis metro accumulated 8 to over 12 inches, with Weldon Spring, Mo. being the big winner. The snow was so intense at one point, thunder snow was reported.


    Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport received 8 inches of snow, a new daily record, leading to canceled flights. At the height of the storm, the pressure dropped to 976 millibars, equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane.

    The southern side of the system on Jan. 5 produced severe weather in the Lower Mississippi River Valley, with 17 tornado reports and dozens of wind reports.

    The storm pushed east and was along the East Coast by Jan. 6. From Virginia to Pennsylvania and New Jersey, snow accumulated. Richmond, Va. experienced blizzard conditions leading to water outages, which took at least three days to fully restore.

    Southern snow Jan. 21 to 22

    Snow in the south happens, but it’s usually a few flakes, not half a foot or more. A large southern storm system brought big snows to states like Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida in late January. Pensacola, Florida, shattered its two-day snowfall record, accumulating 8.9 inches of snow.

    New Orleans was transformed into a winter wonderland, with snowball fights captured on Bourbon Street. For the first time it their history, the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, La., issued blizzard warnings.

    People walk around on Bourbon Street as snow falls in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

    Snow wasn’t the only big weather event in January.

    Los Angeles wildfires

    The Santa Ana winds led to dangerous fires across California. 14 fires burned throughout the entire month, with the Pacific Palisades and the Eaton fires as the two largest. Tens of thousands of structures were damaged or destroyed, and fatalities are estimated in the hundreds.

    A car travels down East Mendocino Street as a wildfire burns in the hills near Eaton Canyon, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

    May 15 to 16 tornado outbreak

    Spring saw bouts of severe weather, with several storms producing destructive tornadoes. 

    In May, a deadly tornado outbreak hit the Midwest and Ohio River Valley, with more than 60 tornadoes reported. An EF3 tornado, with estimated winds of 150 mph, touched down in the Greater St. Louis area on May 16, bringing destruction across the northern part of the city and killing four people.

    Damage in the St. Louis metro after an EF3 tornado touched down on May 16, 2025. (Pic: NWS St. Louis)

    The same storm system produced a large EF4-rated tornado, with winds estimated at 170 mph, across south-central Kentucky. This long-tracked tornado caused 19 fatalities and billions of dollars in damage.

    Texas Hill Country flooding

    Turning to summer—During the early morning hours of July 4, the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry combined with Pacific moisture, producing heavy thunderstorms across the Texas Hill Country. Rainfall totals ranged from 8 to over 20 inches in just a few hours, leading to the dramatic rise of the Guadalupe River.

    Camp Mystic stands next a creek that feeds into the Guadalupe River, Monday, July 7, 2025, in Hunt, Texas, after flash flooding swept through the area. (AP Photo/Eli Hartman)

    One of the worst-hit areas was in Kerrville, Texas, where Camp Mystic, a girl’s summer camp along the river, flooded. The water rose so quickly that the camp did not have time to evacuate. Twenty-five campers and two teenage counselors perished during the devastating floods.

    Tampa hits 100 degrees

    2025 saw its fair share of weather records shattered. On July 28, the Tampa International Airport recorded the first triple-digit temperature since records began in 1890. The area hit 100 degrees!

    Hurricane season 

    Speaking of numbers… This was the first time in a decade that no hurricane had made landfall in the United States. However, in late August, Hurricane Erin brought dangerous surf and rip currents to the East Coast.

    Numerous houses along North Carolina’s Outer Banks fell into the sea because of coastal flooding and erosion.

    Five homes collapsed Tuesday in Buxton along North Carolina’s Outer Banks. (Spectrum News 1/Lauren Howard)

    Although no hurricane made landfall in the U.S., Hurricane Melissa made history as the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane and made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm with winds of 185 mph. The storm killed over 100 people and caused at least $10 billion in damage. 

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Meteorologist Stacy Lynn

    Source link

  • 2025: Weather in Review

    [ad_1]

    As we close out 2025, here’s a look back at the wild weather experienced this year. From snow to wildfires to tornadoes to flooding, 2025 will be one for the record books.


    What You Need To Know

    • Record snow fell in southern states, including Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, in January
    • A tornado outbreak in May saw an EF3 in St. Louis and an EF4 in south-central Kentucky
    • For the first time in a decade, no hurricane made landfall in the United States



    It didn’t take long into the New Year for Mother Nature to become active.

    First big storm of the season Jan 3. to Jan 6

    On Jan. 3, a storm system moved onshore along the West Coast, producing snow in the mountains of Washington and Montana. The southern side of the storm produced severe weather, including the first tornado of the year in Northern California.

    As it moved east across the Great Plains and Midwest on Jan. 4 and 5, it intensified and pulled in moisture from the Gulf. Parts of Kansas, including the Kansas City metro, saw upwards of 12 to 18 inches of snow, nearly a season’s worth in one storm.

    The St. Louis metro accumulated 8 to over 12 inches, with Weldon Spring, Mo. being the big winner. The snow was so intense at one point, thunder snow was reported.


    Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport received 8 inches of snow, a new daily record, leading to canceled flights. At the height of the storm, the pressure dropped to 976 millibars, equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane.

    The southern side of the system on Jan. 5 produced severe weather in the Lower Mississippi River Valley, with 17 tornado reports and dozens of wind reports.

    The storm pushed east and was along the East Coast by Jan. 6. From Virginia to Pennsylvania and New Jersey, snow accumulated. Richmond, Va. experienced blizzard conditions leading to water outages, which took at least three days to fully restore.

    Southern snow Jan. 21 to 22

    Snow in the south happens, but it’s usually a few flakes, not half a foot or more. A large southern storm system brought big snows to states like Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida in late January. Pensacola, Florida, shattered its two-day snowfall record, accumulating 8.9 inches of snow.

    New Orleans was transformed into a winter wonderland, with snowball fights captured on Bourbon Street. For the first time it their history, the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, La., issued blizzard warnings.

    People walk around on Bourbon Street as snow falls in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

    Snow wasn’t the only big weather event in January.

    Los Angeles wildfires

    The Santa Ana winds led to dangerous fires across California. 14 fires burned throughout the entire month, with the Pacific Palisades and the Eaton fires as the two largest. Tens of thousands of structures were damaged or destroyed, and fatalities are estimated in the hundreds.

    A car travels down East Mendocino Street as a wildfire burns in the hills near Eaton Canyon, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

    May 15 to 16 tornado outbreak

    Spring saw bouts of severe weather, with several storms producing destructive tornadoes. 

    In May, a deadly tornado outbreak hit the Midwest and Ohio River Valley, with more than 60 tornadoes reported. An EF3 tornado, with estimated winds of 150 mph, touched down in the Greater St. Louis area on May 16, bringing destruction across the northern part of the city and killing four people.

    Damage in the St. Louis metro after an EF3 tornado touched down on May 16, 2025. (Pic: NWS St. Louis)

    The same storm system produced a large EF4-rated tornado, with winds estimated at 170 mph, across south-central Kentucky. This long-tracked tornado caused 19 fatalities and billions of dollars in damage.

    Texas Hill Country flooding

    Turning to summer—During the early morning hours of July 4, the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry combined with Pacific moisture, producing heavy thunderstorms across the Texas Hill Country. Rainfall totals ranged from 8 to over 20 inches in just a few hours, leading to the dramatic rise of the Guadalupe River.

    Camp Mystic stands next a creek that feeds into the Guadalupe River, Monday, July 7, 2025, in Hunt, Texas, after flash flooding swept through the area. (AP Photo/Eli Hartman)

    One of the worst-hit areas was in Kerrville, Texas, where Camp Mystic, a girl’s summer camp along the river, flooded. The water rose so quickly that the camp did not have time to evacuate. Twenty-five campers and two teenage counselors perished during the devastating floods.

    Tampa hits 100 degrees

    2025 saw its fair share of weather records shattered. On July 28, the Tampa International Airport recorded the first triple-digit temperature since records began in 1890. The area hit 100 degrees!

    Hurricane season 

    Speaking of numbers… This was the first time in a decade that no hurricane had made landfall in the United States. However, in late August, Hurricane Erin brought dangerous surf and rip currents to the East Coast.

    Numerous houses along North Carolina’s Outer Banks fell into the sea because of coastal flooding and erosion.

    Five homes collapsed Tuesday in Buxton along North Carolina’s Outer Banks. (Spectrum News 1/Lauren Howard)

    Although no hurricane made landfall in the U.S., Hurricane Melissa made history as the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane and made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm with winds of 185 mph. The storm killed over 100 people and caused at least $10 billion in damage. 

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Meteorologist Stacy Lynn

    Source link

  • 2025: Weather in Review

    [ad_1]

    As we close out 2025, here’s a look back at the wild weather experienced this year. From snow to wildfires to tornadoes to flooding, 2025 will be one for the record books.


    What You Need To Know

    • Record snow fell in southern states, including Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, in January
    • A tornado outbreak in May saw an EF3 in St. Louis and an EF4 in south-central Kentucky
    • For the first time in a decade, no hurricane made landfall in the United States



    It didn’t take long into the New Year for Mother Nature to become active.

    First big storm of the season Jan 3. to Jan 6

    On Jan. 3, a storm system moved onshore along the West Coast, producing snow in the mountains of Washington and Montana. The southern side of the storm produced severe weather, including the first tornado of the year in Northern California.

    As it moved east across the Great Plains and Midwest on Jan. 4 and 5, it intensified and pulled in moisture from the Gulf. Parts of Kansas, including the Kansas City metro, saw upwards of 12 to 18 inches of snow, nearly a season’s worth in one storm.

    The St. Louis metro accumulated 8 to over 12 inches, with Weldon Spring, Mo. being the big winner. The snow was so intense at one point, thunder snow was reported.


    Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport received 8 inches of snow, a new daily record, leading to canceled flights. At the height of the storm, the pressure dropped to 976 millibars, equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane.

    The southern side of the system on Jan. 5 produced severe weather in the Lower Mississippi River Valley, with 17 tornado reports and dozens of wind reports.

    The storm pushed east and was along the East Coast by Jan. 6. From Virginia to Pennsylvania and New Jersey, snow accumulated. Richmond, Va. experienced blizzard conditions leading to water outages, which took at least three days to fully restore.

    Southern snow Jan. 21 to 22

    Snow in the south happens, but it’s usually a few flakes, not half a foot or more. A large southern storm system brought big snows to states like Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida in late January. Pensacola, Florida, shattered its two-day snowfall record, accumulating 8.9 inches of snow.

    New Orleans was transformed into a winter wonderland, with snowball fights captured on Bourbon Street. For the first time it their history, the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, La., issued blizzard warnings.

    People walk around on Bourbon Street as snow falls in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

    Snow wasn’t the only big weather event in January.

    Los Angeles wildfires

    The Santa Ana winds led to dangerous fires across California. 14 fires burned throughout the entire month, with the Pacific Palisades and the Eaton fires as the two largest. Tens of thousands of structures were damaged or destroyed, and fatalities are estimated in the hundreds.

    A car travels down East Mendocino Street as a wildfire burns in the hills near Eaton Canyon, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

    May 15 to 16 tornado outbreak

    Spring saw bouts of severe weather, with several storms producing destructive tornadoes. 

    In May, a deadly tornado outbreak hit the Midwest and Ohio River Valley, with more than 60 tornadoes reported. An EF3 tornado, with estimated winds of 150 mph, touched down in the Greater St. Louis area on May 16, bringing destruction across the northern part of the city and killing four people.

    Damage in the St. Louis metro after an EF3 tornado touched down on May 16, 2025. (Pic: NWS St. Louis)

    The same storm system produced a large EF4-rated tornado, with winds estimated at 170 mph, across south-central Kentucky. This long-tracked tornado caused 19 fatalities and billions of dollars in damage.

    Texas Hill Country flooding

    Turning to summer—During the early morning hours of July 4, the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry combined with Pacific moisture, producing heavy thunderstorms across the Texas Hill Country. Rainfall totals ranged from 8 to over 20 inches in just a few hours, leading to the dramatic rise of the Guadalupe River.

    Camp Mystic stands next a creek that feeds into the Guadalupe River, Monday, July 7, 2025, in Hunt, Texas, after flash flooding swept through the area. (AP Photo/Eli Hartman)

    One of the worst-hit areas was in Kerrville, Texas, where Camp Mystic, a girl’s summer camp along the river, flooded. The water rose so quickly that the camp did not have time to evacuate. Twenty-five campers and two teenage counselors perished during the devastating floods.

    Tampa hits 100 degrees

    2025 saw its fair share of weather records shattered. On July 28, the Tampa International Airport recorded the first triple-digit temperature since records began in 1890. The area hit 100 degrees!

    Hurricane season 

    Speaking of numbers… This was the first time in a decade that no hurricane had made landfall in the United States. However, in late August, Hurricane Erin brought dangerous surf and rip currents to the East Coast.

    Numerous houses along North Carolina’s Outer Banks fell into the sea because of coastal flooding and erosion.

    Five homes collapsed Tuesday in Buxton along North Carolina’s Outer Banks. (Spectrum News 1/Lauren Howard)

    Although no hurricane made landfall in the U.S., Hurricane Melissa made history as the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane and made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm with winds of 185 mph. The storm killed over 100 people and caused at least $10 billion in damage. 

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Meteorologist Stacy Lynn

    Source link

  • Pacific moisture delivers heavy rain for holiday travelers this week

    [ad_1]

    Whether you’re flying or driving, the weather could impact your holiday travel next week. Here’s what to expect across the country.


    What You Need To Know

    • Heavy rain is expected in California and the Pacific Northwest
    • A clipper system brings heavy snow across the Northeast and New England before Christmas
    • Temperatures are trending significantly above normal for Christmas


    Here are the weather highlights for holiday travelers. 


    A more detailed forecast for each day can be found below.

    Monday

    A prolonged period of wet weather is on tap this week across Northern California and the intermountain west. Monday evening into Tuesday morning could see some showers across the Ohio Valley and snow in the Great Lakes. Southern California remains mostly dry today, but wetter trends ramp up tomorrow.


    Tuesday

    Snow is possible across New England and the Northeast on Tuesday, with parts of Maine seeing up to 6 to 8 inches. Totals remain on the low end with only a couple inches of accumulation everywhere else. Out west, rain and snow continues, with heavy rain spilling into southern California.

    Christmas Eve

    California will see wet weather on Christmas Eve as another atmospheric river brings in Pacific moisture, leading to periods of heavy rain and mountain snow. Some strong storms are also possible across Southern California. The possibility of showers will be present through the Ohio Valley.


    Christmas

    The Rockies and areas westward see wet and wintry weather on Christmas Day, with the higher elevations seeing a white Christmas. Much of the central and eastern U.S. will be warmer than normal with mostly dry conditions.


    Friday

    The day after Christmas could finally offer a break for some areas out west, but high elevation snow chances continue. Some rain is possible across the Northeast.


    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Spectrum News Weather Staff

    Source link

  • Pacific moisture delivers heavy rain for holiday travelers next week

    [ad_1]

    Whether you’re flying or driving, the weather could impact your holiday travel next week. Here’s what to expect across the country.


    What You Need To Know

    • Mostly dry weather is on tap across the central and eastern U.S. this weekend
    • Heavy rain is expected in California and the Pacific Northwest
    • Temperatures are trending significantly above normal for Christmas


    Here are the weather highlights for holiday travelers. 


    A more detailed forecast for each day can be found below.

    Saturday

    If you’re traveling Saturday, a weak disturbance will bring some light snow across the Great Lakes and interior Northeast during the afternoon and evening. Heavier snow accumulation should remain into Canada.  Most of the Midwest is looking at dry, sunny weather. 

    Northern California and the intermountain west will continue seeing periods of wet weather.


    Sunday

    Wet weather continues out west on Sunday, especially for parts of Northern Calfornia, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Heavy snow and rain is expected.

    Some snow showers are possible around the Great Lakes and rain across the Southeast, but activity remains light.

    Monday

    A prolonged period of wet weather is on tap into early next week across Northern California and the intermountain west. Monday evening into Tuesday morning could see some showers across the Ohio Valley and snow in the Great Lakes.


    Tuesday

    Snow is possible across New England and the Northeast on Tuesday, but totals remain on the low end with only a couple inches of accumulation. Out west, rain and snow continues.

    Christmas Eve

    California will see wet weather on Christmas Eve as another atmospheric river brings in Pacific moisture, leading to periods of heavy rain and mountain snow. The possibility of showers will be present through the Ohio Valley.


    Christmas

    The Rockies and areas westward see wet and wintry weather on Christmas Day, with the higher elevations seeing a white Christmas. Much of the central and eastern U.S. will be warmer than normal with mostly dry conditions.


    Friday

    The day after Christmas could finally offer a break for some areas out west, but high elevation snow chances continue. Some rain is possible across the Northeast.


    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Spectrum News Weather Staff

    Source link

  • The Ursid meteor shower arrives, the last of 2025

    [ad_1]

    The last meteor shower of 2025, the Ursid meteor shower, arrives each year around the winter solstice. While it isn’t as impressive as the recent Geminid shower, it’s still worth seeing.


    What You Need To Know

    • The Ursid meteor shower peaks in the pre-dawn hours of Dec. 22
    • The average number of meteors per hour is 5-10. On rare occasions, there have been bursts near 100
    • The Ursid meteor shower originates from the debris trail of Comet 8P/Tuttle

    What causes most meteor showers?

    Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through debris left over from a comet or asteroid. This debris material is usually no bigger than a large grain of sand. When these particles enter the Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up, leaving bright, sometimes colorful streaks of light in the night sky.

    In the case of the Ursids, the debris trail is left over from Comet 8P/Tuttle. This comet was first discovered in 1790 by Pierre Mechain from Paris, France. Later, in 1858, Horace Tuttle of Harvard University rediscovered the comet when its orbit took it back through the solar system.

    When and where to meet watch

    The Ursids range from Dec. 13 to 24. The peak arrives on the evening of December 21st through dawn. Make sure you dress warmly and find a dark location, away from lights. A country area is ideal. Allow your eyes to adjust to the night sky, which takes up to 30 minutes. The best time to watch the sky is from around 1 a.m. EST until dawn.

    All annual meteor showers have a radiant point from which they originate. With the Ursids, they radiate from the area of the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. (Big Dipper & Little Dipper). More specifically, from the star Kochab in the Little Dipper constellation. Look for the Big Dipper and the star Kochab well to the north-northeast.

    Keep in mind, you don’t need to look directly at the radiant point (near the star Kochab in the Little Dipper); looking about 30 to 40 degrees away often yields longer, more impressive meteor trails across the sky.

    Here is the cloud forecast across the nation during the peak viewing time:

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Meteorologist Scott Dean

    Source link

  • The Ursid meteor shower arrives, the last of 2025

    [ad_1]

    The last meteor shower of 2025, the Ursid meteor shower, arrives each year around the winter solstice. While it isn’t as impressive as the recent Geminid shower, it’s still worth seeing.


    What You Need To Know

    • The Ursid meteor shower peaks in the pre-dawn hours of Dec. 22
    • The average number of meteors per hour is 5-10. On rare occasions, there have been bursts near 100
    • The Ursid meteor shower originates from the debris trail of Comet 8P/Tuttle

    What causes most meteor showers?

    Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through debris left over from a comet or asteroid. This debris material is usually no bigger than a large grain of sand. When these particles enter the Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up, leaving bright, sometimes colorful streaks of light in the night sky.

    In the case of the Ursids, the debris trail is left over from Comet 8P/Tuttle. This comet was first discovered in 1790 by Pierre Mechain from Paris, France. Later, in 1858, Horace Tuttle of Harvard University rediscovered the comet when its orbit took it back through the solar system.

    When and where to meet watch

    The Ursids range from Dec. 13 to 24. The peak arrives on the evening of December 21st through dawn. Make sure you dress warmly and find a dark location, away from lights. A country area is ideal. Allow your eyes to adjust to the night sky, which takes up to 30 minutes. The best time to watch the sky is from around 1 a.m. EST until dawn.

    All annual meteor showers have a radiant point from which they originate. With the Ursids, they radiate from the area of the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. (Big Dipper & Little Dipper). More specifically, from the star Kochab in the Little Dipper constellation. Look for the Big Dipper and the star Kochab well to the north-northeast.

    Keep in mind, you don’t need to look directly at the radiant point (near the star Kochab in the Little Dipper); looking about 30 to 40 degrees away often yields longer, more impressive meteor trails across the sky.

    Here is the cloud forecast across the nation during the peak viewing time:

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    [ad_2]

    Meteorologist Scott Dean

    Source link