Storms have dropped large hail, buckets of rain and tornadoes across the Midwest

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Residents in Omaha, Nebraska, awoke to weather sirens blaring and widespread power outages early Tuesday morning as torrential rain, high winds and large hail pummeled the area hours before a new round of storms swept into Iowa and threatened more of the Midwest. More than 10,000 customers were without power in and around Omaha in the early morning, and the deluge of more than 5 inches of rain in less than two hours in some areas saw basements flooded and cars submerged in low-lying areas. That downpour, combined with rain earlier in the nighttime hours, brought the total to 8 inches in the region, according to the National Weather Service. Television station KETV showed video of several vehicles overtaken by rushing water on a low-lying street in north-central Omaha and firefighters arriving to rescue people inside.

Former Arizona grade student convicted of first-degree murder in shooting

(AP) — A former University of Arizona graduate student has been convicted of first-degree murder for fatally shooting a professor on campus two years ago. A Pima County Superior Court jury deliberated for around two and a half hours Tuesday before reaching a verdict against Murad Dervish. Authorities say the 48-year-old Dervish was banned from the school in January 2022 and later expelled for ongoing issues with professors after he received a bad grade. Dervish killed 52-year-old Thomas Meixner on Oct. 5, 2022. Authorities said the professor who headed the university’s Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences was shot 11 times near his office and pronounced dead at a hospital.

Graceland is not for sale, Elvis Presley’s granddaughter says in lawsuit

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Elvis Presley’s estate is fighting what it says is a fraudulent scheme to auction off Graceland to the highest bidder. An auction had been scheduled for this Thursday. But court documents show a Memphis judge blocked it after Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough sought a temporary restraining order and filed a lawsuit. A public notice for a foreclosure sale of the estate in Memphis said the trust that controls the Graceland museum owes $3.8 million after failing to repay a 2018 loan. Keough’s lawsuit alleges that Naussany presented fraudulent documents regarding the loan.

Judge hears wrongful conviction claim of Missouri inmate in prison for 33 years

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Christopher Dunn has spent 33 years in prison serving life without parole for a murder in Missouri he has always claimed he didn’t commit. A hearing starting Tuesday will determine if he should go free. St. Louis prosecutors are now convinced that Dunn is telling the truth, but lawyers for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office want him kept behind bars. Dunn appeared in a gray suit at the hearing before Judge Jason Sengheiser. A recent Missouri law now allows prosecutors to request such hearings when they see evidence of a wrongful conviction. Dunn was convicted largely on the testimony of two boys who later recanted.