Tornado strikes Georgia

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency for Bartow and Gordon counties after a tornado ripped through Adairsville, Ga. yesterday as part of a 1,000-mile storm system that passed through several communities in the northwestern region of the state.

Winds littered Interstate 75 with debris and overturned vehicles, forcing the shutdown of 10 miles on the highway. CNN reported at least 17 people were injured during the storm. CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen said after a person in Adairsville died because of a building collapsing, this marked the first death caused by a U.S. tornado in a record 220 days.

Teacher donates kidney

After being diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, a father of two was offered a kidney donation from a woman he didn’t know. Yahoo News reported that Buffy Sexton, a seventh-grade-science teacher from Kentucky saw a Facebook post from Tina Desmond, pleading for a kidney donor for her husband, John. Sexton tested positive as a match and will donate her kidney to John.

Sexton will be in recovery for approximately a month, but surgeons will record the procedure so the teacher can use it as a lesson when she returns to class.

Gun Violence

USA Today reported a 70-year-old man opened fire in a Phoenix office building yesterday. The suspect shot three people, one of whom was killed as a result. This shooting took place the same day members of Congress were discussing gun violence. Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords; who was shot in Tuscon, Ariz. two years ago at a supermarket, was present at the Washington meeting.