1. First snowstorm of February should last about 12 hours today starting around 11am and ending around 11pm. Depending on your location you could recieve between a half a foot to a foot. Whiteout conditions are possible. Closings (WGME)
2. Syphilis, an infection once thought nearly eradicated in the United States, has come roaring back in recent years, including in Maine. At the Portland Community Free Clinic, Medical Director Dr. Christina DeMatteo said the city has seen an uptick in syphilis and gonorrhea that parallels state and national trends. “We’re seeing an increase in the number of syphilis cases in Maine,” she said. “While the disease is treatable, it’s easy to miss the signs of infection so regular condom use and screenings are important for anyone who might be at risk.” (Bangor Daily News)
3. Smartphone owners from Maine to Texas who have the AccuWeather app likely did a double take when they received a tsunami warning Tuesday morning. It turned out to be a National Weather Service test that had gone awry, but that wasn’t immediately apparent on cellphone screens. The false alert went out along the entire East Coast and Gulf Coast from Maine to Texas, as well as in the Caribbean. AccuWeather released a statement more than four hours after the alert blaming the mistake on a miscoded test issued by the weather service. (Press Herald)
4. The same day the Indianapolis Colts announced the hire of Josh McDaniels, the team also announced his departure. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who first reported McDaniels’ decision to withdraw, the 41-year-old will remain as New England’s offensive coordinator after team owner Robert Kraft “ultimately wound up sweetening his contract.” (Boston Sports)
5. PepsiCo is claiming that the reports on a rumored Lady Doritos product for female consumers are “inaccurate.” “We already have Doritos for women–they’re called Doritos, and they’re enjoyed by millions of people every day,” the brand tells ABC News in a statement. The internet went into a frenzy after on January 31 when a PepsiCo chief executive said on the Freakonomics podcast that they were planning a new chip that would dull the “crunch” noise to make it female-friendly. “It’s not a male and female as much as ‘Are there snacks for women that can be designed and packaged differently?’” (US Magazine)
Made Hot in Maine by Job Corps! Job Corps offers housing and FREE career training classes to those who qualify! (Job Corps)
