Blog Heap of Links for the day 27 March 2009

A major spring blizzard plodding eastward over the Southern Plains shut down major highways Friday and paralyzed the region as residents braced for up to a foot of snow, freezing 45-mph winds and massive snowdrifts.

The chief of the Missouri highway patrol is blasting a report issued by the Missouri Information Analysis Center that linked conservative groups to domestic terrorism, assuring that such reports no longer will be issued. The report warned law enforcement agencies to watch for suspicious individuals who may have bumper stickers for third-party political candidates such as Ron Paul, Bob Barr and Chuck Baldwin. It further warned law enforcement to watch out for individuals with "radical" ideologies based on Christian views, such as opposing illegal immigration, abortion and federal taxes.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius signs a bill ensuring that women and girls seeking abortions can see ultrasound images before the procedure. The legislation, signed Friday and taking effect July 1, also ensures that abortion patients can listen to the fetal heartbeat.

A woman who has spent 29 years in prison for taking part in the murder of a Campbell liquor store owner, gunned down by her abusive husband while she sat outside in a car, will be freed on parole next week.

The widow of producer Aaron Spelling is placing "The Manor" in the exclusive Holmby Hills neighborhood on the market for a jaw-dropping $150 million, making it by far the most expensive home for sale in the U.S.

In calling its new family sedan the "Model S," Tesla likely wants to evoke the Model T of days gone by. The implication is that this new electric car will be accessible to mainstream Americans -- and that it will radically change the way people travel from one place to another.

It is the largest monthly contract award for roads and bridges in Oklahoma's history. Friday, state officials unveiled plans on how Oklahoma will spend its 250-million dollar portion of the President's economic stimulus package for road and bridge repairs. 7NEWS has learned 6 of the 40 proposed projects will happen in southwest Oklahoma.

"It will create jobs, it will help Oklahoma companies," Governor Henry said. "These dollars don't just fall in a hole somewhere; they turn over multiple times in our economy and will create a much bigger impact than just the $250 million will be awarded next Monday." The federal dollars will fund about 40 highway improvement projects across the state, including interstate repairs, major bridge improvements and safety initiatives such as cable barriers.

None of the sirens in Bartlesville went off despite two tornado warnings. The Washington County Emergency Management team stands by its decision. It released a statement saying, "the tornado was weak and short lived....and based on the information that our office received from NWS and trained spotters on the field, we believed the significant tornado threat would remain to the south and east of Bartlesville." However, some people wished they would have been warned.

State Senate leaders expect a vote next week on a bill allowing two coal-fired power plants in southwest Kansas. They also said Friday they expect the measure to go to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who vetoed three similar bills last year.