Severe Storms Possible Across Parts of the Southeast Saturday

Differing COVID-19 Orders a Challenge for Boundary City of Lloydminster

LLOYDMINSTER, Alta.—Gerald Aalbers lives and works in Alberta, but he can see Saskatchewan from his office window. As the mayor of Lloydminster, which straddles the Alberta−Saskatchewan boundary, he’s dealt with some unique situations. Now, he says, the city is in the middle of one of its biggest challenges yet as it navigates the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s very difficult,” Aalbers said in an interview with The Canadian Press. Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers. (HO/The Canadian Press)Residents of the city, which has a population of about 31,000, follow provincial laws on each side of the boundary. The city itself, however, is governed by a Lloydminster Charter, which determines whether it follows Alberta or Saskatchewan legislation. That includes the two province’s emergency measures and public health acts, said Aalbers. When Alberta declared a public health emergency on March 17, he said officials…

Severe storms will track across parts of the Southeast Saturday after causing damage in northeast Texas on Friday.

Severe thunderstorms capable of damaging winds, hail, isolated tornadoes, heavy rainfall, and flash flooding were forecast to continue over the Lower Mississippi Valley into Saturday morning.

These storms will push east into the Tennessee River Valley and southern Appalachians by the afternoon and into the evening.

The storms will then track into the Northeast on Sunday, bringing rain and gusty winds. Widespread rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches are expected.

Severe weather is already blamed for damage Friday night in northeast Texas, with trees reported down in Cass County.

Someone drove a truck into a pine tree that fell onto a road in McCleod, Texas, causing at least one injury, said Don Blackwell of the Cass County Fire Department.

“Trees and power lines are down everywhere,” he said.

Electricity was knocked out in the area, he said.

No tornadoes were confirmed as of Saturday morning. Earlier Friday evening, a tornado watch had been in place.

A second area of isolated severe storms is also possible Saturday across southern Florida, where the main threat will be damaging winds.

In the West, more than 20 million people are under excessive heat alerts across southern California and the desert Southwest.

Temperatures across the Southwestern United States climbed into the 90s and triple digits Friday, and several cities broke high temperature records.

The peak of the heat across Southern California was Friday, but this heat will shift east into the desert Southwest through the weekend.

High temperatures are expected to be 10-20 degrees above normal across the region through the weekend.

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Gangs Change Tactics as Borders Closed, COVID-19 Impacts

Gangs and organized crime groups in B.C. are changing how they operate and run their illegal business due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, police forces say. Since physical distancing protocols were enacted more than a month ago, illicit drug prices across the province have gone up, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit said. “Their primary commodity is harder to obtain with borders being shut down, trade and movement of people and goods more regulated and scrutinized. It’s resulted in a supply issue,” said Sgt. Brenda Winpenny, a spokeswoman for the province’s anti-gang unit. Police are also seeing drugs laced with more cutting agents because of the lack of supply, she added. But there hasn’t been a noticeable increase in gang violence, such as drive-by shootings, with gang…