ST LOUIS (LALATE) – The Vilonia, Arkansas tornado tonight delivered pounding damage to the region. While Vilonia tornado reports are inconsistent and unconfirmed tonight, local news is confirming that cars were lifted off the road, sections of I-40 got massive pounding tonight, and sections of the town of Vilonia incurred damage. FM89 KUAR reports that the tornado in Vilonia was roughly a half mile wide. An online message being retweeted tonight about the Vilonia tornado, however, appears to be inaccurate.

Shortly after 9:30 pm CDT, a twitter message was repeatedly posted that read “Unconfirmed..report that the town of Vilonia Arkansas has been wiped out due to a possible EF-5 tornado.” Such appears not to be the case.

“Yes, we’re ok and lucky to be so” reported one apparent local tonight, Brandon Dayberry, roughly fifteen minutes ago. “Phone and data access is sporadic” he updated. He reports the tornado moved across Highway 64. Earlier he tweeted the above twitpic, updating “so far we’re still ok here in Vilonia”. But he added that “It got serious real fast.”

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Online reports claim the town in the 2009 census had roughly thirty thousand six hundred residents, with its population growing at nearly seventy percent every ten years. And while online reports on twitter assert the entire population “was destroyed by Tornado about an hour ago…could be F-5″, that is not case tonight.

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Meantime, the National Weather Service tells news that the current tornado watch remains in effect until 11 pm CDT tonight for twenty-seven counties in Arkansas. In Southwest Arkansas, this includes Clark, Hot Spring, and Calhoun.

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ST LOUIS (LALATE) – Poplar Bluff flooding, following threats of a levee break along the Black River, has prompted evacuations today. Poplar Bluff flooding has sent hundreds of homeowner leaving today as mandatory evacuation orders were issued. Nearly one thousand residents in five hundred homes have left the region as the Black River caused the local levee to fail Monday. Now the concern is whether the levee will break.

Officials fear that if the levee breaks, the community could flood in thirty minutes or less. The entire community is home to roughly seventeen thousand residents. Strong rains, and even a reported tornado tonight, have raised water levels to record amounts.

Flash flood warnings now span the southern section of the state and part of northern Arkansas. And even if the levy holds tonight, there is an estimated six inches of rain on its way in the next three days.

Residents are now in local shelters and hoping for the best. One resident took the following image tonight and posted it on YFrog with a message to Kelly Ripa “a view of my front yard in poplar bluff mo. Please send prayers our way.”

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ST LOUIS (LALATE) – A tornado warning for Little Rock, Arkansas has been issued after a tornado was spotted north of town.
Vilonia, Otto and Funston are all in the path of tornado tonight after one touched down in Mayflower. A tornado was spotted east of Mayflower, Arkansas Monday night, confirms local news. The tornado was tracked moving northeast by early evening. Moments ago, however, a tornado alert was issued for Vilonia after a spotting in the region was captured by radar.

There is reported excess damage along I-40 in some sections of the state tonight, indicates local news. Another report claims three separate tornadoes are heading towards Little Rock with the Mayflower movement predicted the worse. “Debris signature showing up on radar with strong rotation crossing I-40 NW of Little Rock near Mayflower” reports that Weather Channel tonight. Earlier tonight a funnel cloud was spotted in Benton near Interstate 30.

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Tornado warnings were issued for Little Rock earlier tonight by the National Weather Service. “At 7:20 PM CDT the NWS spotted a thunderstorm “capable of producing a tornado” located near Little Rock moving northeast at 35 mph.

The NWS in a news statement says the “locations in or near the path of this dangerous storm include West Little Rock, SW Little Rock, Sherwood, North Little Rock” and other communities.

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – On Dancing with the Stars results tonight, Kendra Wilkinson will have to excel to stay in the competition. Playboy’s Kendra Wilkinson (photos below) starts tonight’s Dancing with the Stars with the worse overall score in this competition, by nine points. But while Kendra will have to improve to advance, she will also have to hope that Kirstie Alley or Romeo struggles in final results.

Kendra Wilkinson coming into tonight’s competition is far back in last. But the question news is asking this week is whether the former Playboy Playmate, who enters tonight with only one hundred points, can overtake Kirstie Alley and Romeo. Kirstie, with nine points more than Kendra, and Romeo, with eleven, have both been consistent this competition. But such has not been the case for Kendra. In fact, many news sites predicted Kendra’s elimination last week.

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Earlier this month, Kendra struggled, earning an eighteen for her Viennese waltz with Louis Van Amstel. Both Bruno and Len were unimpressed. Bruno remarked “Kendra, you messed it up and you know it.” Carrie Ann added that Kendra is dancing too conservatively to win. “You looked like you were holding back.”

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On the rumba, Kendra seemed to be back into the competition, earning a strong twenty-three. Len then Kendra that showed huge improvement”.

Last week, on the foxtrot, Kendra was back in the groove, but still holding back. Her foxtrot prompted news to incorrectly predict her elimination last week.

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But with a twenty-two, the dance resulted in Len remarking “Good news, it’s much better than last week!” Bruno said it was “much more in character.” “I can see you thinking it.” And Carrie Ann was definitely excited for Kendra. “This is the most confident I’ve ever seen you.”

Romeo, however, picked up a twenty-six last week. His foxtrot impressed fans and news critics. Len said it was still lacking “but you’re on the right road.” Bruno added “I’ve never seen a foxtrot so cheeky and so well-danced!”And Carrie Ann loved it, adding “You have your own unique style.”

Kirstie wasn’t as good with her foxtrot. Len said it “wasn’t my cup of tea.” Bruno called it “the American woman and the Russian gigolo!” But Carrie Ann loved it saying “it was a little borderline crazy …. I think it was your best dance ever!”

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – The 2011 NFL Lockout is ended, at least for now. The NFL lockout of the 2011-2012 seasons was effectively ended today when a federal district judge ruled in favor of players. With the NFL lockout in its second month, U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson ruled in favor of the players, finding too much harm. The NFL says it will appeal swiftly to the Eighth Circuit.

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals will get an expedited appeal to determine whether Nelson was accurate or not in issued an injunction. The NFL in a news statement today said that the federal law prohibits injunctions in labor disputes. “We are confident that the Eighth Circuit will agree” said the NFL in its statement. “But we also believe that this dispute will inevitably end with a collective bargaining agreement, which would be in the best interests of players, clubs and fans.”

Today’s ruling ends a lockout that started on March 11, effectively prohibiting any contact between players and the league.

“(T)he public ramifications of this dispute exceed the abstract principles of the antitrust laws, as professional football involves many layers of tangible economic impact, ranging from broadcast revenues down to concessions sales,” wrote Nelson. “And, of course, the public interest represented by the fans of professional football — who have a strong investment in the 2011 season — is an intangible interest that weighs against the lockout.”

The opinion also called the dispute far from just a private labor dispute. “In short, this particular employment dispute is far from a purely private argument over compensation.”

If the players lose on appeal, the lockout could be back in place. The NFL is seeking a stay pending the appeal. If the stay is granted, the NFL will effectively remain under lockout pending the appeal. If the stay is not granted, players and teams will be able to meet; practices will begin; trainers will be able to work with players; and similar ordinary business will be back to normal.

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