*Listen to the radio for updates
*Secure outdoor objects or bring them inside
*Turn refrigerator thermostat to coldest setting and keep door closed
*Stock up on water for sanitary purposes such as cleaning and flushing toilets. Fill bathtubs & other large containers with water.
*Stay inside away from windows and glass doors
*Take refuge in small interior room, closet or hallway on the lowest level
*Lie on the floor under a table or other sturdy object
*Gas up vehicles in case there is loss of power
*Make sure you have some CASH on hand
*Have car charger in case you need to charge cell phone
*Download K975 free mobile app on your phone in case you lose power so we can keep you informed!

Hurricane Irene’s main thrust was still a day away from North Carolina but heightened waves began hitting the state’s Outer Banks and rain began falling in the southeastern part of the state Friday as the storm continued trudging toward the East Coast.
National Weather Service meteorologist Rachel Zouzias said rain carried by Irene’s outer bands was reaching the southeastern part of North Carolina. Rain is also falling in South Carolina.

In addition, swells from Irene and 6 to 9-foot waves were showing up and winds were expected to begin picking up later in the day, said Hal Austin, another meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The Category 2 storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, but it’s expected to be stronger when it hits North Carolina’s coast sometime Saturday.

That’s just the first hit. Irene’s projected path, which CBS News hurricane consultant David Bernard says most computerized models show unusual agreement on at this stage, has it bringing misery to Washington, New York and Boston, with a possible devastating strike directly on New York City over the weekend. As many as 65 million people on the East Coast could be affected.

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Millions of energy customers are at risk of long-lasting power outages as strong winds and heavy rains threaten utility wires and poles.
The storm, with winds of 115mph, would be the strongest to strike the East Coast in seven years, and people are already getting out of the way. Tens of thousands fled North Carolina beach towns, farmers pulled up their crops, and the Navy ordered ships to sea so they could endure the punishing wind and waves in open water.

There were reports last night of gas stations going dry and ATMs running out of cash as cars went bumper to bumper on highways in a slow-motion scramble to heed forecasters’ warnings. With New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and Delaware all declaring states of emergency the cost of the hurricane would be vast. The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said damages could exceed most previous storms because so many people live along the East Coast and property values are high.

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Via: NewsOne

In Hurricane Katrina’s chaotic aftermath, police shot six people – killing two – as they crossed a bridge in search of food. For years the case was a shocking symbol of the confusion and violence that swept through the flooded city. On Wednesday it became a mark of shame for the police department.

As victims’ relatives watched from the courtroom gallery, a retired lieutenant who supervised the department’s probe of the shootings pleaded guilty to orchestrating a cover-up to conceal that police gunned down unarmed civilians.

Michael Lohman, a 21-year veteran of the force, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to obstruct justice. Prosecutors said Lohman and other unidentified officers conspired to fabricate witness statements, falsify reports of the incident and plant a gun in an attempt to make it appear the killings were justified.

U.S. Attorney Jim Letten said the investigation is continuing and would not say whether higher-ranking officials of the police department might be involved.

Lohman’s plea brought at least some closure to families of victims in the best-known of several violent incidents that raised questions about police conduct immediately after Katrina. The shootings happened on Sept. 4, 2005, six days after the storm smashed levees and flooded 80 percent of the city.

Survivors have said the officers fired at unarmed people who were crossing to get food at a grocery store. The officers claimed they opened fire only after being shot at. Ronald Madison, 40 and mentally disabled, and James Brissette, 19, were killed and four others were wounded.

“We are very, very happy about the progress that the FBI and the U.S. Justice Department have made,” said Romell Madison, Ronald’s brother. “The people of New Orleans should be relieved that there is still justice for everybody here.”

Lohman’s plea marked the first conviction in the case. Seven officers were charged with murder or attempted murder but a state judge threw out all the charges. Federal authorities then stepped in to investigate.

The federal prosecutor said Lohman is cooperating with investigators who want to know more about the police department’s actions.

Dylan Utley, Lohman’s lawyer, said his client “did what’s right for him and what’s right for his situation” and hopes to “make amends.”

During Wednesday’s hearing, Lohman, 42, answered U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle’s questions in a soft voice but didn’t interact with the victims’ relatives. He is free on $50,000 bond and the maximum sentence he faces is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. His sentencing is scheduled May 26.

Described by fellow officers as a straight-shooter and hardworking, by-the-book cop, Lohman’s cooperation is expected to be helpful as authorities examine a wide range of problems in the police department after Katrina.

The department’s reputation – never sterling in a city where violent crime is a daily fact of life – was hammered after Katrina with charges that officers were involved with shootings, deserted their posts, looted shops and made off with cars from a Cadillac dealership.

“It looks like the blue code has been broken,” former U.S. Attorney Harry Rosenberg said. “Remember, those officers stood shoulder to shoulder when it was in state court. Nobody said anything.”