Floodwaters rising in the Midwest
ST. LOUIS – Flood fighters from small Mississippi River hamlets to the suburbs of Chicago staged a feverish battle Friday to hold back raging rivers, after days of torrential rains soaked much of the Midwest.
Mississippi River communities in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri are expected to see significant flooding – some near-record levels – this weekend, a sharp contrast to just two months ago when the river was approaching record lows. Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana had flooding, too. All told, dozens of Midwestern rivers were well over their banks after rains that began Wednesday dumped up to 6 inches of new water on already saturated soil.
USA Today founder Neuharth dies at 89
COCOA BEACH, Fla. – Critics dubbed USA Today “McPaper” when it debuted in 1982, and they accused its founder, Al Neuharth, of dumbing down American journalism with its easy-to-read articles and bright graphics.
But it was Neuharth who had the last laugh when USA Today became the nation’s most-circulated newspaper in the late 1990s.
Neuharth, the hard-charging founder of USA Today, died Friday in Cocoa Beach, Fla. He was 89. The news was announced by USA Today. The newspaper reported that Neuharth died after suffering injuries in a fall at his home.
Associated Press
