JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 830

Enid, Okla. — A powerful tornado struck southeastern Enid on Thursday evening, April 23, 2026, ripping roofs from homes, snapping power poles and moving through neighborhoods near Vance Air Force Base at about 8:21 p.m.; video and National Weather Service alerts showed a large, rapidly rotating column of air touching down in the Grayridge area.

Local emergency crews, law enforcement and county officials responded immediately on Thursday night and into Friday morning, reporting multiple injuries, residents trapped in homes and search-and-rescue operations; officials conducted door-to-door welfare checks, the City of Enid issued road-closure and safety advisories, and the National Weather Service confirmed multiple tornadoes with the primary twister rated at least EF3.

Colorado Springs — A former funeral home owner, Carie Hallford, was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Friday after pleading guilty to corpse abuse related to the discovery of nearly 200 decomposing bodies at facilities linked to Return to Nature; she and her ex-husband were arrested in October 2023 following community complaints and investigations.

The sentences follow coordinated state and federal prosecutions that produced an 18-year federal term in March to run concurrently with Friday’s state sentence; Jon Hallford previously received a 40-year sentence at a February hearing. This week state officials said the case has prompted regulatory reviews and steps to tighten oversight of the funeral industry.

PITTSBURGH — The Las Vegas Raiders selected Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick Thursday night in the NFL draft, Commissioner Roger Goodell announced; the 22-year-old Heisman Trophy winner celebrated with family at home in Miami and is set to travel to Las Vegas Friday to begin his NFL career.

The first round featured significant trade activity, leaving eight teams awaiting their first picks in Round 2 and 16 of 32 selections unchanged; other early selections included edge rusher David Bailey and running back Jeremiyah Love at the next spots, and teams such as Buffalo and San Francisco executed multiple moves that reshaped draft order this week.

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets 113-96 on Thursday night in Game 3 of their first-round NBA playoff series, taking a 2-1 lead. Jaden McDaniels had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Ayo Dosunmu added 25 points and nine assists off the bench, and Rudy Gobert limited Nikola Jokić.

The loss occurred with starting forward Aaron Gordon sidelined by left calf tightness; Jokic shot 7-for-26 and Jamal Murray was 5-for-17. The Timberwolves established a postseason franchise mark by allowing just 11 points in the first quarter, and the series now shifts to Game 4, where Denver must adjust its rotations and recover offensively.

Washington: On April 24, President Donald Trump reposted comments by radio host Michael Savage that included derogatory references to India and other countries, prompting immediate criticism from Democratic leaders. The House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats said Americans are struggling while the president was "amplifying racist trash on social media" and treating the presidency like a reality TV gig. The repost followed Savage's remarks made in the context of a U.S. Supreme Court case challenging birthright citizenship.

Lawmakers including Representatives Ro Khanna, Ami Bera and Raja Krishnamoorthi called the repost offensive, beneath the dignity of the office and harmful to Indian and Chinese Americans. Khanna asked Vice President J.D. Vance for comment on the president's remarks about immigrants; Bera, the son of immigrants from India, said immigrants strengthen America and accused Trump of lacking understanding of immigrant struggles. Krishnamoorthi said the rhetoric undermines U.S.-India ties and national values, while the Hindu American Foundation urged the president to delete the post, warning it could stoke xenophobia and endanger communities.

Los Angeles — The Colorado Avalanche beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena, taking a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series. Artturi Lehkonen scored a shorthanded goal and assisted another, while Scott Wedgewood stopped 26 shots as Colorado closed out Game 3.

The victory gives Colorado momentum and sets the Avalanche to attempt a series sweep Sunday afternoon; Los Angeles scored on a late power play through Adrian Kempe but still trailed after Brock Nelson added an empty-netter. Coaches, goaltenders and officials were recorded in the official boxscore, and attendance was listed at 18,145.

SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks selected Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price with the 32nd overall pick on Thursday night, opting to keep their first-round selection rather than trade it. The move directly addressed running back depth after Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III left in free agency and Zach Charbonnet remained in rehabilitation from a knee injury.

Seattle had signed Emanuel Wilson in free agency to bolster the position, and Price is expected to compete with Wilson for playing time this fall. Price ran for 674 yards on 113 carries with 11 rushing touchdowns last season and is credited with roughly 1,692 career rushing yards and 21 touchdowns over three seasons at Notre Dame, according to team and media reports.

Washington: The Department of Justice charged U.S. Army soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke on April 24 after alleging he used classified information from a U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to place over $400,000 in bets on the prediction market Polymarket; prosecutors say Van Dyke participated in planning and executing the mission beginning Dec. 8, 2025.

United States prosecutors have filed counts including unlawful use of confidential government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and unlawful monetary transaction, and said he could face years in prison; Polymarket notified authorities and cooperated, and Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche on Thursday emphasized service members are prohibited from exploiting classified material, with court proceedings and pretrial motions expected this year.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. The Baltimore Ravens selected Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane with the 14th overall pick Thursday night, using the first-round choice to address interior offensive-line needs after the team lost center Tyler Linderbaum in free agency this offseason.

The pick provides a potential plug-and-play guard who did not allow a sack across his last two college seasons and earned All-Big Ten and AP All-America honors; the team will evaluate configurations during this week's offseason workouts and training camp to protect quarterback Lamar Jackson and bolster the running game and support running back Derrick Henry under new head coach Jesse Minter.

Pittsburgh — The Los Angeles Chargers selected Canadian defensive end Akheem Mesidor with the 22nd overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft on Thursday. Mesidor, 25, from Ottawa, played at West Virginia and Miami, finishing the 2025 season with 63 tackles and 12.5 sacks and earning All-ACC first-team honours.

Los Angeles — The pick addresses Chargers' edge-rush depth amid expiring contracts for veterans such as Tuli Tuipulotu, Khalil Mack and Bud Dupree; team executives will evaluate Mesidor's role during offseason work and training camp this spring. The Chargers hold additional day-two picks at Nos. 55 and 86 and could target wide receiver and cornerback needs on Friday.