Tropical Storm Alex could become Hurricane

Alex could become hurricane Monday or Tuesday

June 28th, 2010

By Adrian Virgen

CAMPECHE, Mexico, June 28 (Reuters) – Tropical storm Alex became better organized as it slowly moved away from Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, and forecasters said it could become a hurricane on Monday or Tuesday.

Coast Guard officials have said they do not think the storm poses an imminent threat to oil-siphoning efforts at BP Plc’s (BP.L: Quote)(BP.N: Quote) blown-out Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico.

But Shell Oil Co (RDSa.L: Quote) shut subsea production at the Auger and Brutus platforms in the Gulf due to the storm threat. It has evacuated nonessential workers from production platforms and drilling rigs in U.S.-regulated areas of the Gulf of Mexico oilfields. [ID:nN27622581]

Forecasters from the U.S. National Hurricane Center said “additional strengthening is forecast in the next 48 hours and Alex could become a hurricane” on Monday or Tuesday.

The storm is expected to make landfall again between Brownsville, Texas, and Tuxpan de Rodriguez Cano in Mexico, mostly sparing BP oil collection efforts.

Alex, the first named storm of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, had sustained winds of about 50 mph (85 kph) with higher gusts and was located about 75 miles (115 km) west of Campeche, Mexico. The system was moving northwest at 6 mph (9 kph).

The Mexican government kept the ports of Dos Bocas and Cayo Arcas, which handle 80 percent of all its export shipping in the Gulf of Mexico, closed Sunday afternoon citing bad weather and strong surf in the area.

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Only at Walmart , Parents try to sell baby for $25....

SALINAS, Calif. – A California couple faces child endangerment charges after police say they tried to sell their 6-month-old baby for $25 outside a Walmart store.
Salinas police spokesman, Officer Lalo Villegas, said Thursday that Patrick Fousek, 38, and Samantha Tomasini, 20, were arrested early Wednesday, hours after Fousek allegedly approached two women outside Walmart and asked if they’d like to purchase his child.
The women initially thought Fousek was joking, but when he became persistent, they became suspicious and reported it to police, Villegas said.
“They did an outstanding job and gave our officers good information. I don’t know if they’re mothers but they definitely had that instinct to help,” Villegas said.

Fousek and Tomasini were arrested at 1 a.m. Wednesday at their home. Officers said the couple appeared high on methamphetamine and the house was in disarray. A police report also claimed that Tomasini told Child Protective Services, who took the baby, that she had breast-fed the infant while under the influence, Villegas said.
The couple was also booked on charges of being under the influence of narcotics, and Fousek was also served with an extra charge of violating probation. Villegas did not have details of Fousek’s previous brush with the law.
The couple was expected to be in court for an arraignment Friday, at which time they would be assigned public defenders.