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NATION/WORLD Tuesday, December 29, 2015 Texas cleans up after twisters Snow and ice pelt the Midwest By DAVID WARREN Associated Press GARLAND, Texas — Jacqui Gordon spent Monday sifting through the debris that had been her home, searching for old family photographs — especially of her father, who died two years ago. She and nine others were enjoying a holiday gathering when winds began to rattle her home in suburban Dallas. They all dashed into closets and suffered only bumps and bruises, but Gordon’s roof was torn away and her house destroyed. “I just got divorced, and this is all I had,” she said. With rain all day Sunday keeping people away, resi- dents worked on a dreary and frigid Monday to salvage what they could, with the American Red Cross distrib- uting items like tarps, rakes and work gloves to help them. At least 11 people died and dozens were injured in the tornadoes that swept through the Dallas area Saturday. Snow from New Mexico through the Midwest, SOXV ÀRRGLQJ LQ $UNDQVDV Missouri and Illinois, added to the succession of severe weather events across the country in the last week that led to about four dozen deaths. The storm system brought heavy snow, ice and blustery winds to several states in the nation’s midsection, as well as heavy rain in already-wa- terlogged areas. 0RUH WKDQ ÀLJKWV across the U.S. were canceled Monday — more than half of them at Chicago’s two main airports — and 3,700 were delayed, according WR ÀLJKWWUDFNLQJ VHUYLFH FlightAware. A typical day sees about 150 cancellations and 4,000 delays. Highways turned icy and treacherous in New Mexico, while Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin declared a state of emergency after blizzard conditions affected parts of G.J. McCarthy/The Dallas Morning News via AP This aerial photo shows a damaged home after a tornado ripped through the area, Monday in Texas. Residents surveyed the destruction from deadly tornadoes in North Texas as the same storm system brought winter woes to the Midwest on Monday, amplifying looding that’s blamed for more than a dozen deaths and prompting hundreds of light cancellations. At least 11 people died and dozens were injured in the tornadoes that swept through the Dallas area Saturday and caused substantial damage. the state and heavy rains fell. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said the body of a 22-year-old man was recovered but a second man, the lead singer of the country-rock band Backroad Anthem, was still missing after the two went duck hunting and their boat capsized. 2I¿FLDOVLQ$UNDQVDVVDLG a 31-year-old man died in a storm-related drowning. Several inches of rain FDXVHG ÀRRGLQJ LQ ,OOLQRLV and Missouri, where Gov. Jay Nixon also declared a state of emergency. Nixon says the state’s death toll from days of pounding rainfall has risen to 10, and he expects that number to grow. The Mississippi River neared a potential record crest, after an unusual amount of late-fall rain had the river already high before torrential downpours that began Saturday. Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said Monday the state is seeking a federal disaster declaration for some or all of the seven counties hit by a tornado last week. Author- ities in Georgia said they recovered the body of a man whose car was swept away ZKHQ ÀRRGZDWHUV RYHUWRRN it. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made disaster declarations Sunday for four counties — Dallas, Collin, Rockwall DQG(OOLV2I¿FLDOVHVWLPDWHG as many as 1,450 homes in North Texas were damaged or destroyed by at least nine tornadoes. The National Weather Service has said an EF-4 tornado, which is the second- most powerful with winds up to more than 200 mph, hit Garland. Eight people died there, 15 were injured and more than 600 structures, mostly single-family homes, were damaged. “I’ve never seen anything like this, with this scale of destruction,” Police Chief Mitch Bates said Monday. He said authorities believe all eight of the tornado victims there, which included a 1-year-old, died when their vehicles were thrown from overpasses in the area of Interstate 30 and the George Bush Turnpike, a major route in the region. North of Dallas in Collin County, neighbors and emer- gency responders had tried to save a tiny victim of the powerful storms. Debralee King said she was in her yard assessing the damage when she heard a neighbor’s scream and saw Jose Daniel Santillano appear with his newborn daughter. She said Santillano asked her to take the girl to the hospital, and she headed out with another neighbor. “I kept saying, ‘Oh my God. Be OK, baby. Be OK,”’ King recalled. “Her little hand was cold. I kept praying.” King and local authorities say they found a game warden who performed CPR until an ambulance arrived — but the infant didn’t survive. Both the husband and wife were hospitalized Monday. The family’s trailer was blown off its base. “It’s bad enough that the tornado took their home,” King said. “But to take the baby, too, that’s wrong.” Many roads across West Texas and the Panhandle were still closed due to snow- packed roads and ice, with long delays expected. East Oregonian Page 7A Russia removes Iran’s enriched uranium as per nuclear deal VIENNA (AP) — A landmark nuclear deal with Tehran moved closer to implementation Monday, with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announcing that tons of enriched uranium that could potentially be turned to use in atomic arms were on a ship heading from Iran to Russia. Kerry hailed the devel- opment as “one of the most VLJQL¿FDQW VWHSV ,UDQ KDV WDNHQ WRZDUG IXO¿OOLQJ LWV commitments” under the July 14 nuclear agreement, in comments that expanded on information The Asso- ciated Press received from a senior Russian diplomat earlier in the day. That envoy, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t autho- rized to be cited by name, said Iran had permitted Russia to take possession of and ship out most of its low-enriched uranium. Low-enriched uranium is suitable primarily to generate nuclear power and needs substantial further enrichment for use in the core of a nuclear warhead. But Kerry said that the shipment also included the remaining stock of Iranian uranium that already had been enriched to higher levels, just a technical step away from what is needed WRIRUPWKH¿VVLOHFRUHRID nuclear bomb. The July 14 deal aims to reduce Iran’s ability to make nuclear weapons — something Tehran says it has no interest in. Under the agreement, Iran committed to shipping out all except 300 kilograms (about 650 pounds) of its low-enriched uranium and to either export the uranium it has that is enriched to near 20 percent, process it into low-enriched uranium or turn it into fuel plates to power a research reactor. Kerry indicated both steps were completed Monday, announcing that more than 25,000 pounds (12.5 tons) of enriched “uranium materials” were in the hold of a Russian ship steaming toward Russia. He said the shipment included the near-20 percent enriched uranium that had not yet been turned into fuel plates. The nuclear deal aims at increasing the time Tehran would need to make a nuclear weapon from present U.S. estimates of a few months to at least a year. Kerry said the export of enriched uranium PHDQV D VLJQL¿FDQW PRYH toward that goal by more than tripling “our previous two-three month breakout timeline.” The July agreement also commits Iran to sharply reduce the number of its centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium, as well as to re-engineer a reactor to cut its output of pluto- nium — another pathway to nuclear weapons. The U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency, which is monitoring the progress of the Iranian implementation, says both of those measures are well underway. The Russia-Iran accord under the July deal foresees that Moscow ship Iran around 140 tons of raw uranium in exchange for Tehran’s low-enriched uranium, and Ali Akbar Salehi, who heads Iran’s atomic energy organiza- tion, recently said that his country already received the uranium ore. Chicago police fatally shoot two over weekend By MICHAEL TARM Associated Press CHICAGO — Chicago police fatally shot a 19-year-old man and 55-year-old woman over the weekend, again putting a spotlight on one of the nation’s largest police depart- ments and raising questions DERXWZKHWKHULWVRI¿FHUVDUH too quick to use deadly force. The double shooting, which already has led to a FLYLO ODZVXLW ¿OHG 0RQGD\ follows the Nov. 24 release of YLGHR VKRZLQJ ZKLWH RI¿FHU Jason Van Dyke shooting black 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times in 2014. The release of the video sparked persistent protests, forced the resignation of the city’s police chief and led to a wide-ranging civil rights investigation of the entire Chicago Police Department by the U.S. Department of Justice. The following is a look at the latest shooting, what questions remain unanswered and what’s likely to happen next: Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune via AP LaTarsha Jones, center, the daughter of Bettie Jones, is comforted by family and friends during a press con- ference on Sunday in front of the house where Bettie Jones was killed Saturday in the West Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago. a friend of hers. Person said it would have been in Jones’ character to get up when she heard commotion outside and to attempt to help Quintonio LeGrier. The 19-year-old was an engineering student at Northern Illinois University, according to relatives. “My son was going somewhere. ... He wasn’t just a thug on the street,” his mother said Sunday. She challenged reports that her son might have had emotional or mental illness issues, saying that wasn’t the case. What’s next )RXWULV ¿OHG D ZURQJIXO death lawsuit on behalf of swered questions: How shot near the doorway, but Quintonio LeGrier’s father many 911 calls were made? that shell casings were found Monday, and attorneys for Was one made by Quintonio some 20 feet away. He said the Jones family say they LeGrier himself? How many that raised questions about H[SHFW WR ¿OH D VXLW RI WKHLU RI¿FHUV UHVSRQGHG" :KDW whether police could have own soon. The LeGrier suit was the race of responding perceived LeGrier as a threat in Cook County Circuit RI¿FHUV"+RZIDUDZD\ZHUH at such a distance. It couldn’t Court contends Quintonio LeGrier and Jones when EHLQGHSHQGHQWO\YHUL¿HGWKDW LeGrier never had a weapon SROLFH VWDUWHG ¿ULQJ" $QG the casings had any link to and never threatened anyone perhaps most critically: Why Saturday’s shooting. EHIRUH SROLFH ¿UHG7KH VXLW did police decide to start Is there video? which doesn’t specify an shooting? amount in potential damages, Video has been central to also alleges police forced A police spokesman has declined to comment on the controversies surrounding father to go immediately Facts not in dispute circumstances of the shooting other police shootings the to a police station to answer It’s clear that at least one beyond the brief original nationwide, including the questions, separating him shooting of McDonald. from his son as he was dying. SROLFH RI¿FHU RSHQHG ¿UH statement. Chicago authorities have not The city’s law department LeGrier’s father, Antonio early Saturday at a two-story said if there is video from the declined comment. LeGrier, called police, but home on Chicago’s West dashcams of any squad cars RI¿FHUV WROG KLP ODWHU WKDW The city’s Independent Side. Mortally wounded by that responded to the 911 Police Review Authority his son also had called 911 WKH JXQ¿UH ZDV \HDUROG Quintonio LeGrier, who earlier, the elder LeGrier’s call. Adam says police appear is investigating the double was home from college for lawyer, Basileios Foutris, to have checked a security police shooting, and Mayor video on a house across the 5DKP (PDQXHO¶V RI¿FH KDV the holidays and staying said Monday. street from where Saturday’s said IPRA would share its A cousin of LeGrier’s, with his father in an upstairs shooting occurred. But it evidence with the county Albert Person, says police apartment. Also killed was wasn’t known if that camera SURVHFXWRU¶VRI¿FH indicated to LeGrier’s father 55-year-old Bettie Jones, or other security cameras in afterward that the teenager On Sunday, Emanuel ZKROLYHGLQWKHJURXQGÀRRU the area captured the incident. called on police and IPRA opened the door holding a bat apartment. Both were black. to review crisis-intervention Police were responding to DV RI¿FHUV DUULYHG 3HUVRQ What’s known training. at least one 911 call about who spoke to LeGrier’s father about the victims The mayor said in a state- a domestic disturbance at length about the incident, Bettie Jones was a ment that he directed the new involving LeGrier and his said it appeared shots were father. A police statement said ¿UVW¿UHGDWWKHWHHQDJHUDQG PRWKHURI¿YHZKRDIDPLO\ acting chief administrator of RI¿FHUV³ZHUHFRQIURQWHGE\ Jones was shot as she tried to spokesman said, also had IPRA and the interim police a combative subject resulting intervene. But lawyers for the many grandchildren. She had superintendent to meet as in the discharging of the Jones family say that it may hosted family on Christmas soon as possible. He said he RI¿FHU¶V ZHDSRQ´ ,W DGGHG have been Jones who opened Day, just hours before she wants them to review the the “female victim was acci- the door for police and that was shot. She was known WUDLQLQJ DURXQG KRZ RI¿FHUV SROLFHRSHQHG¿UHVRRQDIWHU for working with commu- respond to mental health dentally struck.” Sam Adam Jr., a Jones groups committed to crisis calls, and determine What’s not known family lawyer, says Jones nity reducing violence, said GH¿FLHQFLHV DQG KRZ WR Among the many unan- and LeGrier were apparently Person, who said he was also immediately address them. AP Photo Iraqi soldiers hold national lags in the government complex in central Ramadi, 70 miles west of Bagh- dad, Iraq, Monday. Iraqi troops advance in Ramadi BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi forces backed by U.S.-led airstrikes drove Islamic State militants out of the center of Ramadi on Monday and seized the main government complex there, according to PLOLWDU\ RI¿FLDOV ZKR VDLG insurgents are still dug into pockets of the city west of Baghdad. Ramadi, the provincial capital of the sprawling Anbar province, fell to IS in May, marking a major setback for Iraqi forces and the U.S.-led campaign. Ramadi and nearby Fallujah, which is controlled by IS, saw some RI WKH KHDYLHVW ¿JKWLQJ RI the eight-year U.S. inter- vention in Iraq. In recent months Iraqi forces launched several offensives to retake Ramadi, but all had stalled. Iraqi troops began advancing into some parts of the city, located about 80 miles west of Baghdad, earlier this month. But their progress was slowed by snipers, booby traps and the mili- tants’ destruction of bridges leading into the city center. 7KH KHDY\ ¿JKWLQJ DQG limited access to front-lines PDGH LW GLI¿FXOW WR IROORZ the troops’ progress, and ,UDTLRI¿FLDOVLVVXHGDVWULQJ of sometimes contradictory statements. Brig. Gen. Ahmed al-Belawi told The Associ- ated Press that IS militants VWRSSHG ¿ULQJ IURP LQVLGH the government complex at around 8 a.m. Monday and said troops were encircling it as engineering teams cleared booby traps. A few hours later, mili- tary spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool announced in a televised statement that Ramadi had been “fully liberated.” But Gen. Ismail al-Mahlawi, head of military operations in $QEDU TXLFNO\ FODUL¿HG that Iraqi forces had only retaken the government complex and that parts of the city remained under IS control. He said IS ¿JKWHUV VWLOO FRQWURO percent of Ramadi and that government forces do not fully control many districts IURPZKLFK,6¿JKWHUVKDYH retreated. “The troops only entered the government complex,” al-Mahlawi told The Associated Press. “We can’t say that Ramadi is fully liberated. There are still neighborhoods under their control and there are still pockets of resistance.” Iraqi state TV showed troops, some waving Iraqi ÀDJVDQGRWKHUVEUDQGLVKLQJ machine guns, chanting and dancing inside what it described as the govern- ment complex. Soldiers could be seen slaughtering sheep in celebration near heavily damaged buildings. Col. Steve Warren, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, told AP that “today’s success is a proud moment for Iraq.”
