1. Hundreds of schools closed their campuses Tuesday as temperatures dipped well below zero in much of the Midwest. Temperatures got as low as 27 below zero in the Dakotas, with wind chill pushing that figure down to an almost unfathomable minus-59 Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, parts of Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota were nearly as chilly. “You’re talking about frostbite and hypothermia issues very quickly, like in a matter of minutes, maybe seconds,” meteorologist Brian Hurley told the AP, warning that temperatures this low are most definitely life-threatening. (AP)
2. Lawmakers are pushing to make drivers keep their hands off their phones. Texting and driving is already illegal in Maine, but enforcement is difficult because the law is so narrow. It doesn’t include the many ways people now use cellphones like browsing social media, taking photos, shopping or using online maps. The new proposal would simplify the law by making it illegal to use a hand-held device while driving. It expands an existing prohibition on minors using such devices to all drivers. First-time violators could get a $75 fine, with maximum penalties of a $500 fine and a three-month license suspension for repeated violations. (Press Herald)
3. The great black hawk that suffered frostbite on its feet during a winter storm last week continues to see its condition deteriorate. Avian Haven, a wild bird rehabilitation center in Freedom where the raptor has been treated since its rescue from Portland’s Deering Oaks Park in the middle of a snowstorm, said Tuesday that frostbite has likely claimed at least two toes on each of the hawk’s feet. (WGME)
4. Flora came from Georgia to the Animal Refuge of Greater Portland, Maine to find her forever home, and now the puppy will appear in this weekend’s Puppy Bowl! The Staffordshire terrior boxer mix will play on Team Fluff. You can watch her compete Sunday afternoon on the Animal Planet. (WMTW)
5. Netflix has responded to viewers swooning over Ted Bundy following last week’s release of its docuseries Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes. “I’ve seen a lot of talk about Ted Bundy’s alleged hotness and would like to gently remind everyone that there are literally THOUSANDS of hot men on the service—almost all of whom are not convicted serial murderers,” the streaming service wrote on Twitter this week. Tweets about Bundy’s attractiveness included, “Most beautiful psychopath in the world,” and “If I was a college-aged woman in 1978, I would volunteer to be Ted Bundy’s 31st victim.” (ET)
