Disasters

An 87-year-old driver has been sentenced to probation in Freeborn County for a crash that killed a motorcyclist last year.
Wadena putting the pieces back together
In the next few days, officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are expected to assess the damage from last Thursday's tornadoes. The storms caused a lot of property damage. They also killed three people. Governor Tim Pawlenty says he expects to ask for a disaster declaration for about half a dozen counties in northern and southern Minnesota. That will likely include Wadena County, where a tornado plowed through the city of Wadena. Reporter Tom Robertson discussed the latest with Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Crann.
La. companies ask judge to end drilling moratorium
Companies that ferry people and supplies to offshore oil rigs asked a federal judge Monday to lift a six-month moratorium on new deepwater drilling projects imposed in the aftermath of the massive Gulf spill.
After the storm in Alden, Minn.
On June 17, 2010, nearly 40 tornados were reported across the state of Minnesota. One of those twisters tore through the Zeller family farm in Alden.
Science of cleaning oil from ocean marshes
Booms, manmade sand banks and flushing fresh water into the Gulf are some of the options for attempting to restore the coastal environment after the oil has seeped in. Scientists are debating the best ways to clean without doing more damage.
They came for a class reunion, and stayed for the cleanup
Alumni from the high school spent two years planning a big reunion of anyone who has ever attended the school. But after a tornado struck the town last night, it has become a different sort of reunion.
Timeline of Thursday's storms
Up to 35 tornadoes were reported across Minnesota on Thursday, and officials from the National Weather Service were trying to determine how many of them were really tornadoes. A more accurate number will likely be known after this weekend, but here's a summary of what happened when.
Photos: Tornadoes sweep across Minnesota
Tornadoes, thunderstorms and hail ripped across central Minnesota Thursday afternoon and evening, killing at least three people and causing widespread damage to homes and trees.
An Olmsted County sheriff's official said the three people killed in a plane crash near Rochester were on a leisure flight from the Twin Cities.