Midwest news stories on Newser

Sand Mining Craze Stirs Up Health Fears

Neal Colgrass — Sat, 19 May 2012 07:15:05 CDT

The upper Midwest is home to the latest craze in American mining: sand. Mining companies are knocking on doors in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and nearby states to dig up tons of the stuff so oil and gas producers can inject it into the ground in a process known as fracking. Sand...

Ron Paul: Tornado Victims Shouldn't Get Aid

Mark Russell — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 05:54:06 CST

Even in the wake of last week's massive tornado damage , Ron Paul remained steadfast in his libertarian principles, saying he was opposed to any emergency aid from the federal government, reports the National Journal . "The people who live in tornado alley, just as I live in hurricane alley, they should...

9 Killed as Violent Storms Lash Midwest

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:41:04 CST

At least nine people are dead as a violent storm system sweeps across the Midwest, causing tornadoes, pounding rain, high winds, golf-ball-sized hail, and "dangerous lightning." "It's like nothing I've ever seen, and something I don't care to see again," says the mayor of Harrisburg, Illinois, where Reuters reports that...

US Faces Fresh Tornado Threat

Matt Cantor — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:37:05 CDT

Some 250 tornadoes wreaked havoc in the US last week, and—brace yourself—another possible wave of tornadoes may hit this week. Last week’s tornadoes killed at least 47 people across six states; now, a storm system heading east from the Rockies is threatening new snow, flooding, hail, and more...

Neighbors Rescue Man Buried Under Snow 4 Hours

John Johnson — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 17:17:14 CST

Here's one great story emerging from the week's brutal blizzard: An alert neighbor and her trusty pair of binoculars saved the life of a 66-year-old Wisconsin man who was buried under snow for four hours, reports AOL News . Joe Latta's ordeal began about 5am when he trudged out his driveway...

After Snow Comes ... Subzero Cold

John Johnson — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:47:01 CST

The good news is that skies are clearing in the Midwest after that brutal mess of a storm . The bad news is that Arctic-like temperatures will follow. Chicago, for instance, expects temperatures as cold as 15-below tonight, and that's without the wind-chill factor, reports the Tribune . The city registered 20....

Blizzard Forces Thousands of Flight Cancellations

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:53:08 CST

Layers of dangerous ice and blowing snow closed roads and airports from Texas to Rhode Island as a monster storm began bearing down on the nation and those in its frigid path started to believe it would live up to its hype. Ice fell first and was expected to be...

No Snow Yet, but Midwest Still 'Freaking Out'

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 06:38:07 CST

That “potentially historic” winter storm hasn’t really started yet, but that didn’t stop Missouri from declaring a state of emergency. All across the Midwest, residents are preparing early—and, in some cases, enthusiastically—for the storm, with schools closing, airlines canceling flights, and emergency generators selling out as the first...

6 Dead as Snow, Big Chill Shut Down Midwest

Matt Cantor — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 05:53:53 CST

Temperatures have plummeted across the upper Midwest after a storm pounded the region with snow and strong winds this weekend, the AP reports. Six weather-related deaths were reported as the storm closed major highways in some states, canceled some 1,600 flights in Chicago, and collapsed the inflatable roof of...