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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 23 august 2023
Scorching heat in central U.S. brings warnings and tragedy as

1-year-old girl dies in hot car

By MARGERY A. BECK ings with window air condi-
Associated Press tioners.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Organizers who had
Scorching heat affecting planned an outdoor rally
nearly 100 million people for workers’ rights outside
across a huge swath of the the Republican presiden-
U.S. sent schools, outdoor tial primary debate in Mil-
workers and organizers of waukee altered their plans
open-air events scrambling with temperatures forecast
to adjust Tuesday and to be near 100 degrees
claimed the life of a 1-year- Wednesday.
old girl left in a Nebraska Even in Florida, which is
day care center’s van on used to 90-plus tempera-
one of the hottest days of tures in August, forecast-
the year. ers issued heat advisories
Officers and medics were in some areas, including
called Monday afternoon Tallahassee. The heat in-
to Kidz of the Future Child- dex across the Panhandle
care in Omaha for an un- Heat waves rise off the road as a cyclist makes his way through Water Works Park, Tuesday, Aug. was expected to top out
responsive baby inside the 22, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. at somewhere around 105
van, police said. The call Associated Press (40.5 Celsius) on Tuesday
came as temperatures and Wednesday, accord-
reached into the upper issued heat alerts Tuesday some parents about the ers face this week, noting ing to the National Weath-
90s (mid-30s Celsius) and for parts of 22 states stretch- conditions kids and teach- past issues in specific build- er Service.q
the heat index soared to ing from the Midwest and
around 110 degrees (43 Great Plains down to the
Celsius), part of heat wave Gulf Coast.
that has been plaguing The high temperatures in
the central part of the some states, including Ne-
country for days. The child, braska, Iowa and parts of
Ra’Miyah Worthington, South Dakota, Minnesota,
was pronounced dead at Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and
a hospital, police said. Her Indiana, are expected to
parents questioned why be as much as 20 degrees
her absence at the day above average. Higher
care wasn’t noticed. overnight temperatures
“She loved, loved, loved and high humidity are ex-
her family,” her mother, pected to compound the
Sina Johnson, told the tele- effects of the heat, which
vision station WOWT. “She the weather service said
loved her daddy. She was would stick around through
daddy’s little girl.” Thursday and possibly into
Prosecutors charged the Friday.
62-year-old van driver, The heat led schools across
Ryan Williams, of Omaha, the Midwest to make
on Tuesday with a felony changes to their outdoor
count of child negligence activities, bringing recess
resulting in death, which indoors and postponing
carries a sentence of up to sports events from South
four years in prison. Dakota to Indiana.
A bond hearing for Wil- In eastern Iowa, the annual
liams was set for Wednes- Taste of Iowa City event
day morning. Online court was moved from Thursday
records didn’t yet list an to next Tuesday to avoid
attorney who could com- having people congregate
ment on his behalf, and a in temperatures expected
phone listing was discon- to soar over 100 degrees
nected. (38 Celsius).
“He was responsible for Schools in the suburbs
getting those kids inside,” of Chicago delayed the
Douglas County Chief start of classes to Friday or
Deputy Attorney Brenda shifted to online learning
Beadle. and early release times.
“That little girl was in that Chicago Public Schools
van between five and six among the country’s larg-
hours with the temperature est districts, with more than
outside reaching nearly 340,000 students did not
100.” announce alterations to its
The death came as the schedule.
National Weather Service That drew concern from