Talk of the Town
A legal dispute over vote counting is now central to efforts to remove L.C. Jones from office.
Attorney Mark Krudys argues state law requires petitioners to gather signatures equal to 10% of all votes cast in the 2024 council election, or 1,179 signatures — far more than the 401 certified.
Petitioners contend the threshold should be based on votes tied to Jones’ seat, lowering the requirement to about 190 signatures.
The next hearing is set for Friday.
(NEW YORK) — Amid red-flag fire danger alerts issued for parts of New York and a forecast of potential flooding for Hawaii, the weather is expected to cooperate for Friday’s historic Artemis II splashdown off the coast of Southern California.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued red-flag alerts on Thursday for several counties in upstate New York, including much of the Hudson Valley stretching from Albany to Westchester County.
The red-flag alerts are expected to last until at least 6 p.m. ET on Thursday as the NWS is forecasting wind gusts of up to 35 mph and relative humidity as low as 20%.
“Any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly,” the NWS said on Thursday, adding that outdoor burning is not recommended.
Elevated fire danger to a lesser extent is also in place for other parts of the Northeast, including sections of Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island and as far north as Vermont.
Hawaii flood threat
Already this week, the eastern nose of Hawaii’s Big Island has recorded a rainfall accumulation of 10 inches to 13 inches. The eastern edges of Maui have recorded 6 inches to 12 inches of rain this week as well.
The soggy weather is expected to continue through at least Friday. An area of low pressure is developing west of the islands, drawing abundant moisture northward as it strengthens on Thursday and into Friday.
The Hawaiian islands are bracing for potential heavy rain and thunderstorms that could produce flash flooding in some areas. Landslides may also occur in areas with steep terrain.
Widespread rainfall of possibly 2 inches to 4 inches is still expected through Friday across the Hawaiian islands, and some areas could receive 5 to 10 inches of rain.
The excessive rainfall could cause streams to overflow and produce significant flooding and property damage in urban or low-lying spots due to runoff, and could lead to road closures in several areas.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said in a statement on Wednesday that President Donald Trump has approved a major disaster declaration for the state ahead of the upcoming storm, freeing up federal resources to respond to the emergency and help in early recovery efforts.
“The recovery from this storm will be long and difficult and will require constant collaboration with the counties and the federal administration — and I am confident that as with other recent disasters, we will benefit from the aloha we share for each other and our collaborative approach with anyone who can offer assistance,” Green said.
Artemis II splashdown weather
The weather forecast remains good for the scheduled splashdown of the Artemis II Orion crew module, according to NASA.
Tentatively scheduled for 8:07 p.m. ET on Friday, NASA says the splashdown site will likely be within 100 miles of the coast of San Diego, California, where the Navy’s amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha will lead recovery efforts.
The majority of the weather criteria are in order to have a safe recovery mission by sea and by air. Visibility will likely be within the necessary guidelines for the safe flight of recovery helicopters, especially from 50 to 100 miles off the coast.
Weather criteria that need to be met for a safe splashdown and recovery include wave heights of less than six feet, no precipitation or lightning within 35 miles of the splashdown site and winds under 28 mph, with minimal cloud cover and good visibility, according to NASA.
Severe weather in store for Texas and the Panhandle
A new weather pattern will begin to take shape this weekend as stormy weather begins over west Texas and the panhandle.
Moisture flowing in from the Gulf, dry air coming from the Desert Southwest and warm air from the Southeast mixing with colder air from the North are all converging as low-pressure systems move across the region.
The severe weather will likely stretch into next week and spread to Wisconsin and Michigan, possibly peaking on Monday and Tuesday.
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On February 11, 2026, at approximately 11:30 p.m., the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, patrol division, attempted to conduct a traffic…
(NORFOLK, Va.) — A person was killed and two others were wounded in a shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, on Thursday.
The school shooting was allegedly committed by a former Army National Guardsman who was convicted of giving material support to ISIS, an FBI official told ABC News.
The gunman opened fire in Constant Hall, an academic building, around 10:43 a.m. and was found dead minutes after officers arrived, Old Dominion University Police Chief Garrett Shelton said during a press briefing.
The suspected gunman was identified as Mohamed Jalloh, who was previously convicted in 2016 of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic militant group.
Two of the victims were members of the university’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program, according to U.S. Army Cadet Command.
Students in the ROTC class fought the shooter, an Army official told ABC News.
Jalloh, a former member of the Army National Guard, was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2017 and released in December of 2024, according to Bureau of Prisons records.
He allegedly walked into a room and asked if it was an ROTC class, and when someone answered, “yes,” he shot the instructor several times, according to sources.
When he pleaded guilty in 2016, Jalloh admitted he had communicated with a member of ISIS who was located overseas who introduced him to an individual in the U.S. who was actually an FBI confidential informant.
The ISIS member was believed to be actively plotting an attack and believed Jalloh would assist the informant in carrying it out. During one meeting with the FBI informant, Jalloh was asked about a timeline for an operation and commented that it was better to plan an attack for the month of Ramadan, court records say.
Prosecutors had recommended Jalloh serve 20 years in prison. It’s not immediately clear why he was released before the end of his 11-year sentence, though it is not unusual in the federal prison system for inmates to be released before serving their full term of imprisonment.
A sophomore named Jennifer told ABC Hampton, Virginia, affiliate WVEC that she was waiting for a midterm exam when she heard a group of people saying, “get out, get out, get out.”
“All of a sudden, we heard a commotion. A lot of people rumbling, starting to get up,” she said. “The guy next to me, we looked at each other, we started running, and that’s when we heard, you know, gunshots.”
She commended the university’s quick communication through alerts, saying, “I’m very, very proud of how quick the situation was handled.”
Shelton told reporters that the investigation is still ongoing and they were combing through the campus for clues.
“We now have to search every single room in that facility. There were students that we found that were hiding and faculty and staff,” he said.
The police did not say how the gunman died.
FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement that the bureau is treating the shooting as “as an act of terrorism,” and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force will be working with local police in the investigation.
There’s no longer a threat, the university said, adding that classes are canceled for the rest of the day and Friday.
“Today was a tragic day for the campus of Old Dominion University,” Old Dominion President Brian Hemphill told reporters.
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