Jones-West

Tornado rips across Whirlwind Street

ROCKFORD, Mich. -- If this happens again, maybe the street should be renamed Sunshine Drive.

A small tornado that touched down Tuesday evening near Whirlwind Street uprooted trees, damaged several buildings and tipped over a delivery truck.

The National Weather Service confirmed that a twister packing winds estimated at 70 mph caused the damage, The Grand Rapids Press reported Thursday.

The tornado was ranked as an F-0, the least-powerful category of twisters on a scale that goes up to F-5, said Bob Dukesherer, a weather service meteorologist. In an F-5 tornado, winds can reach up to 318 mph.

The tornado that struck about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday near the intersection of Whirlwind and Summit Avenue was so weak, Doppler radar failed to detect it.

"There weren't any warnings out with this one, not a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning," Dukesherer said.

Still, the twister was strong enough to leave a path of damage 300 feet wide and a mile long.

Man takes prize at lobster cook-off

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Fresh Maine lobster salad with yellow pear tomato and seared pearl onion won the gold medal at the governor's annual lobster cook-off.

The recipe is an original creation of Charles Butler, chef at the Waterfront Restaurant in Camden, who took home the top prize of $1,000 on Thursday.

"It was really kind of a light dish," said Butler, who also won top honors in 2000. "I really wanted someone to put it in their mouth, and have them really taste the lobster."

Lobster salad was the theme of the eighth annual Great Taste of Maine Lobster Governor's Tasting and Culinary Competition.

Organizers of the contest, sponsored by the Maine Lobster Promotion Council and held at the mansion of Gov. Angus King, extended invitations to nine chefs from around the state. Dishes were judged by a panel of food experts on factors from presentation and creativity to flavor and nutritional value.

A group of guests invited to the event awarded the $750 People's Choice Award to Robert McGowan, the chef at the Heritage House Restaurant in Skowhegan, who prepared Mediterranean marinated grilled lobster.