Alva Review-Courier -

ST. CHARLES, Mo. (AP) — An eastern Missouri fire official is urging people not to set their flood-damaged homes on fire after more than 20 firefighters spent more than two hours battling a blaze. Central County Fire and Rescue Assistant Chief...

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (AP) — Buildings in Tahlequah offer a variety of architectural styles, and one that calls to mind an exotic animal may be unfamiliar to residents outside of the Ozarks area. Giraffe houses boast a certain claim to fame, but there...

APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. (AP) — A group of fitness coordinators from Kansas became overwhelmed while climbing a mountain trail near metro Phoenix in sweltering temperatures and two members had to be airlifted to safety, authorities said Friday. Two...

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas regulators are investigating the cause of a cluster of 11 earthquakes that hit Reno County in the last five days. The Kansas Corporation Commission announced Wednesday that it is analyzing injection well activity in the...

DENVER (AP) — Elevated levels of plutonium were found in the soil near a former nuclear weapons plant outside Denver, while a second test showed far lower levels, health officials said Tuesday. The Colorado Department of Public Health and...

DENVER (AP) — A tree-killing beetle has been confirmed in a Colorado city despite preventative efforts. The Denver Post reports that the Colorado State Forest Service announced the first confirmed case of the emerald ash borer in Broomfield County...

QUINTON, Okla. (AP) — No injuries were reported after a 3.7 magnitude earthquake was recorded in eastern Oklahoma. The U.S. Geological Society says the earthquake was reported at 4:07 a.m. Sunday north-northeast of Quinton, about 123 miles (198...

CUSHING, Okla. (AP) — Officials have closed a recreational lake in northeastern Oklahoma while they monitor a dam breach in the area. Cushing City Manager Terry Brannon said Sunday that a breach has been detected in a concrete structure beneath...

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Tulsa has requested to raise the water level at Webbers Falls to 491.5 feet (149.81 meters) for 24 hours to help free two sunken barges. The request made Wednesday with Southwestern Division...

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — The Latest on a series of earthquakes in Kansas (all times local): 2:30 p.m. A series of earthquakes shook parts of Kansas near Hutchinson, knocking down ceiling tiles and breaking some windows. The largest earthquake...

MEDFORD, Okla. (AP) — No injuries were reported after a 3.4-magnitude earthquake shook a sparsely populated area of northern Oklahoma. The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake was recorded about 2:40 p.m. Tuesday about 8 miles (13 kilometers)...

HAYS, Kan. (AP) — Strong winds and heavy rain blew over semi-trailer trucks and downed power lines and caused damage across parts of western Kansas. Ellis County and Hays city officials said in social media posts that Tuesday's storms caused...

SYRACUSE, Kan. (AP) — The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office says a 23-year-old man drowned in a public pond near Syracuse. The sheriff says the body of Joaquin Vazquez Hernandez, of Syracuse, was recovered from the pond Tuesday evening. Emergency...

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas authorities have issued a public health advisory urging people and pets to stay out of the water at Lake Afton near Wichita because of elevated toxins. The Wichita Eagle reports that the 258-acre lake west of Wichita is...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — After devastating flooding this year, Iowa put $15 million into a special fund to help local governments recover and guard against future floods. Missouri allotted more money to fight rising waters, including $2 million...

QUINTON, Okla. (AP) — No damage has been reported following a series of earthquakes that rattled parts of Oklahoma. The U.S. Geological Survey says a 3.2 magnitude earthquake was recorded about 8:30 p.m. Sunday near Quinton, about 123 miles (198...

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (AP) — Magic has happened this summer on a former cattle ranch that for 19 years has been home to one of Oklahoma's largest, but lesser-known, nature preserves. Following one of the wettest spring seasons on record, the... Full story

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Colorado wildlife officials say thousands of tarantulas are expected to start their annual migration through the state soon. The Gazette reported Wednesday that the migration is expected to begin this month through...

OKMULGEE, Okla. (AP) — The Oklahoma-based Muscogee (Creek) Nation has received a federal disaster designation to help it recover from damage caused by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding in May and June. The declaration was announced by The...

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The state of Kansas has lifted health warnings it issued last week after heavy rain caused sewage to be released into several Lawrence-area waterways. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Tuesday lifted health...

GERING, Neb. (AP) — Astronomy fans are gathering in western Nebraska for a program about the night sky at the Wildcat Hills Nature Center near Gering. The center is part of the Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area, which sits several miles south of...

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — From the banks of a hilly canal, Monte and Sam watch the goats eat plants, butt heads and sit around on the job. The goats were on the other side of section of the northwest Oklahoma City canal near NW 63 and N Council Road...

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — Montana wildlife officials are planning to offer 600 special licenses to hunt deer in an effort to test for chronic wasting disease and contain its spread. The Missoulian reports licenses for the special white-tailed deer...

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — One of the most beloved birds in Maine is having one of its most productive seasons for mating pairs in years on remote islands off the state's coast. Atlantic puffins, with their colorful beaks and waddling walks, are one...

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union sued Thursday on behalf of two environmental activists who claim a lawyer with the state utilities regulating agency filed a baseless complaint against them as retaliation for their protests a...