Michigan: World’s oldest person has died at age 115

Maud Farris-Luse, recognized last year by the Guinness World Records book as the world’s oldest living person, has died. She was 115.

She died Monday from complications of pneumonia at Community Health Center of Branch County in Coldwater, a town south of Grand Rapids in southwestern Michigan. She had been in the hospital since Sunday night, said Kyle Fassett, administrator of the Laurels of Coldwater, the nursing home where Farris-Luse lived.

Farris-Luse was 115 years, 56 days old.

Last June, Guinness editors recognized Farris-Luse as the oldest living person whose age could be verified. Though her birth certificate was lost over the years, the editors authenticated her age through other documents, including U.S. Census Bureau records and her 1903 marriage license.

Farris-Luse was born Jan. 21, 1887.

Kentucky: Flooding toll at 7; more rain forecast

With even more rain in the forecast, Appalachian residents whose homes were hit by some of the worst flooding in 25 years returned on Tuesday to find floors caked with mud and garbage strewn in the trees.

Rain let up enough to let the floodwaters recede and residents return after as much as 8 inches of rain in two days fell in the hills of Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.

The storm was blamed for seven deaths and left hundreds of homes damaged or destroyed, and rivers hovering menacingly near their banks.

Forecasters said more was on the way today with another storm expected to deliver 2 inches of rain to a region already soaked.

“Any shower could produce flooding pretty quickly because it’s all runoff now,” said National Weather Service forecaster Darrell Massie.

All the reported deaths were in Tennessee, including two people who drowned crossing swollen creeks and four people who died in rain-related traffic accidents. A 3 1/2-year-old boy died Monday night after falling into a swollen creek behind his Erwin home. He was swept about 150 feet downstream.

Seattle: Gateses put up money to start 70 high schools

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation offered $40 million Tuesday to create 70 schools aimed at improving high school graduation and college attendance rates for disadvantaged young people.

The high schools will try to keep students in school by giving them college-level work in their junior and senior years. The students will be able to earn both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree, or two years of college credit.

Among the planned “early college” high schools are five new small high schools for New York City, to be located on community college campuses; eight high schools for tribal communities in Washington state; and 14 high schools primarily for low-income Hispanic youth.

Miami: Hurricane Center plans to give earlier forecasts

The National Hurricane Center will give hurricane forecasts two days earlier starting next year, allowing officials five days to clear the coasts for dangerous storms.

The expanded forecasts will be less exact, with a margin of error of about 350 miles, said Max Mayfield, director of the center. Current three-day forecasts have a margin of error of 200 miles.

Mayfield said the Navy requested the change because they require up to 96 hours to move docked ships and other equipment. NASA officials and oil companies also wanted more time to move equipment.

The forecasts are not the same as formal hurricane warnings, which are issued by hurricane specialists when a specific area can expect to be hit by hurricane conditions in 24 hours or less.