That severe weather system which caused incredible devastation in Moore, Oklahoma yesterday, is still a threat today. The system spun up a  killer tornado, more than a half mile wide, and it rolled through Moore, a small town near Oklahoma City.. Thousands of homes and buildings were destroyed, two dozen confirmed dead, and scores still missing. The death toll will probably go higher.

From Texas to Oklahoma, to Arkansas and Louisiana, millions are facing the threat of severe storms and even tornadoes from this deadly weather system.

President Obama’s spoke about the tragic scene in Oklahoma today.

Remarks by the President on the Tornadoes and Severe Weather in Oklahoma, The White House 10:08 EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody.  As we all know by now, a series of storms swept across the Plains yesterday, and one of the most destructive tornadoes in history sliced through the towns of Newcastle and Moore, Oklahoma.  In an instant, neighborhoods were destroyed.  Dozens of people lost their lives. Many more were injured.  And among the victims were young children, trying to take shelter in the safest place they knew — their school.

So our prayers are with the people of Oklahoma today.

Our gratitude is with the teachers who gave their all to shield their children; with the neighbors, first responders, and emergency personnel who raced to help as soon as the tornado passed; and with all of those who, as darkness fell, searched for survivors through the night.

As a nation, our full focus right now is on the urgent work of rescue, and the hard work of recovery and rebuilding that lies ahead. (The full text of the president’s remarks here.)

UPDATED 11:18 a.m. : Bought my first Powerball ticket a short while ago. Now, I’m in the game. Let’s see what happens

Talking about lottery fever, Powerball has folks everywhere talking and buying $2 tickets. The jackpot for that game has skyrocketed to $600 million! That kind of money prompts wannabe millionaires to stand in long lines to buy lottery tickets in hopes of becoming the next big “making my dreams come true” winner.

Chances of winning. One in 175 million. You have until 7 p.m. to buy a ticket for tonight’s Powerball draw. Tickets are sold at retail outlets where other California lottery tickets can be purchased.

A great campaign with heart and a rare chance for talented screenwriters — some of them right here in the Media City. I’m talking about a twofer Hollywood style. Here’s how it works. Make a contribution to the American Heart Association and get your script read by Daniel Vang — a manager at one of Tinseltown’s top production and management firms, Benderspink.

Screenwriter, Joe Nienalt, is helping out in the campaign to raise money for a Heart Walk coming up this October. Past campaigns have opened some important doors for some lucky screenwriters.  Details here on donating and getting your script read.

When it comes to customer satisfaction, Southwest Airlines is flying high. The airlines, a frequent flyer out of  Burbank’s Bob Hope Airport, ranked second only to JetBlue  Airways for low cost carriers in the J.D. Power and Associates’ 2013 North America Airline Satisfaction study. Out of a total points of 1,000, JetBlue led the list of low-cost carriers with 787, followed by Southwest with 770 points.

The report came out yesterday, showing passenger approval for airline travel at the highest level since 2006. Alaska Airlines got the best score among traditional carriers. Still, there were some negatives in the study such as customer dissatisfaction with baggage fees. Details on Forbes.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G — A lottery sign in the window of Otto’s Import Store and Delicatessen 2320 Clark Avenue Burbank May 15, 2013

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G — A lottery sign out front of Otto’s Import Store and Delicatessen 2320 Clark Avenue Burbank May 15, 2013

I may have to break down and buy a Mega Millions lottery ticket. The jackpot could soon crack the $200 million barrier. No big winner in last night’s draw prompted more money to be pumped into the jackpot — which now stands at $190 million. Here are Tuesday’s lucky numbers: 6, 10, 12, 28, 32, and the Mega Ball 38.

The next draw is Friday, May 17.

Angelina Jolie’s breast cancer decision

A lot of chatter on the Internet today about actress Angelina Jolie’s double mastectomy. The Academy Award winning actress, best supporting for the 1999 film “Girl, Interrupted,” went public in a New York Times opinion piece about her genetic risk of breast cancer and how that prompted a major decision to take preventative action. Jolie’s partner, actor Brad Pitt, reportedly praised Jolie’s courage and that of others in her similar situation. People has that. More discussion of Jolie’s decision and what it means for other women on Forbes.

How “The Great Gatsby” became a hit

The reviews were mixed, but “The Great Gatsby” debuted with $51 million over the weekend. How did it happen? The stylish film with the hip soundtrack apparently caught on big with women. More on the success of the film and its marketing on The Wrap.

Barbara Walters’ retirement announcement

After more than 50 years on the small screen, veteran journalist, Barbara Walters, is calling it quits. Walters made the official announcement on her talk show, “The View” yesterday. Walters is bowing out next summer. More on this and video too, on Deadline.

The heat is on throughout the Southland today. Here in B-town, the forecast is for a high of 97. Well, we reached that temperature before noon today in the Media City. So keep the water handy and try to hang out in air conditioned places. In other words, not a good afternoon to play tennis or a round of golf. Stay cool.

UPDATED: 4:00 p.m. — Whew! It’s now 102 in the Media City.

UPDATED: 3:07 p.m. – We’re baking in Burbank. The high is 99 degrees!

You know it’s going to be really hot in B-town when the temperature hits 80 before 9 a.m. Yup! That’s the case on this Mother’s Day here in the Media City. The forecast is for a high above 90. Super hugs to all the moms on this super hot day.

The Mega Millions jackpot is now huge! In last night’s draw, no one picked all of the winning numbers. Friday’s digits: 1, 19, 20, 39, 49, and the Mega Ball 28.  So the Mega Millions jackpot ballooned to $170 million! Yeah, that’s a whole lot green. The next draw, is  this Tuesday, May 14.

Media City Groove is  going through some changes. It’s been a little bumpy this week — but we’re working out the bugs. So stay tuned for a new and improved Media City Groove experience.

Photo: FLLewis/ Media City G — A broken hydrant for reclaimed water blew water more than 30 feet into the air on California Street in Burbank May 6, 2013

A broken reclaimed water hydrant, on California Street near the Verdugo Recreation Center, spewed gallons of water into the air this morning  at around 9 :45 a m. The geyser flooded some areas of the street and produced an incredible tower of water, which appeared to shot right up into the rain clouds.

A Burbank Water and Power crew quickly arrived on the scene. The workmen repaired the damaged purple hydrant. One of them told me the damage occurred when a motorist backed into hydrant.

“Iron Man 3″ spectacular debut

“Iron Man 3″ is king of the weekend box office. The superhero threequel opened with the second biggest domestic debut ever — $175  million. In first place another Marvel flick, “The Avengers” which opened with $207.4 million last year.

In two weeks, “Iron Man 3″ has taken in $680 million worldwide.  More on The Wrap.

Mega Millions jackpot hits $139 million

A whole lot of green in the Mega Millions jackpot today. No one got lucky enough to pick all of the winning numbers in last Friday’s game — so the jackpot grew to $139 million. Here are Friday’s numbers: 2, 20, 34, 42, 54, and the Mega Ball 39. Two tickets held five of those numbers. One was bought locally at JJ Liquor  5442 Del Amo Boulevard, in Long Beach. That ticket is worth $133, 171.

The next Mega Millions draw is tomorrow.

Ever wonder what some of those multi-million dollar lottery winners do with all that dough? In 2007, Cynthia Stafford won $112 million in the Mega Millions lottery. Stafford started her own production company and is now making movies. More here.

History Channel’s “The Bible” heads for big screen

The TV miniseries, “The Bible” made a big splash on the History Channel a few weeks back. Get this, 95 million people reportedly watched some or part of this series. Now the producers are going after an even bigger audience — by re-editing a portion of the series for the big screen.

I watched some of the series — thought it was okay. Found the production value to be mediocre, however, the huge number of viewers shows a great deal of interest in the Bible and its stories. More on Bloomberg Businessweek.

 Updated 12:30 p.m.: That light rain turned into some pretty heavy downpours in Burbank this morning. In fact, this Southland storm is packing a bigger punch than expected with cloudy skies, wind, and rain expected to continue throughout the day and tonight, possible tomorrow as well. We need the rain — so bring it on!

Rain rolled into the Southland last night and is expected to hang around at least through today. The showers are light. Still,  were getting enough rain  to make the streets and highways dangerously slick.

The high will only be the 60s in Burbank today. A cool wet beginning to the work week, but sunny skies and warmer temps are headed our way by Thursday.

There may be some rain showers in the Media City today, but that should not stop the celebration. Enjoy.

Pop singer Cyndi Lauper is having a lot of fun these days on Broadway. Lauper wrote lyrics and music for “Kinky Boots,” about a struggling shoemaker whose business gets a big turnaround when he switches over to producing fancy footwear for drag queens.

The musical is based on a true story, a 2005 film by the same name as well as a book by Harvey Fierstein. “Kinky Boots” opened this spring on Broadway and last Tuesday, received 13 Tony nominations the most of any production.

Cyndi Lauper, yes the singer of the 80s hit “Girls Just Want To Have Fun,” got a nomination for best musical score. This is her first ever musical.  More on the Tony nominations here.  The 2013 Tony Awards broadcast is set for Sunday, June 9, on CBS.

It’s not even 9 a.m. and already the temperature is in the 70s here in B-town. It’s expected to be hotter than yesterday. A high of 95 is predicted for the Media City. A cool down is in the forecast for the weekend — with some rain possible on Monday and Tuesday. Change is good.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G — New Burbank City council in front of fountain at City Hall (l-r) Bob Frutos, Vice-Mayor David Gordon, Mayor Emily Gabel-Luddy, Jess Talamantes, and Gary Bric May 1, 2013

A newly reorganized Burbank City Council got down to business with a closed door session at City Hall late today. The only item listed on the  agenda is a conference with legal counsel about anticipated litigation. After yesterday’s momentous event, the Burbank City Council has a fresh start and hopefully, it  will drop the old baggage (stale approaches, unworkable ideas, and biases) and get on with fixing the problems and solving the issues that are swirling around Burbank.

In her acceptance speech, Mayor Gabel-Luddy spoke about her theme for the coming  year being ” a creative community,” tapping new resources of ideas  in our community to find new ways of thinking and  new solutions to city challenges. It will be interesting to see if Gabel-Luddy can walk the walk and not just talk the talk.

A standing room only crowd at City Hall yesterday, witnessed the reorganization of the city council 2013. Several people remarked to me, “It’s a nice day.” I got the feeling they were not talking about the weather, which started off  with cool temperatures and overcast skies. No doubt about it, the day was historic. Here are some of the noteworthy moments from the meeting.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G — Councilman/Mayor Dave Golonski at city council reorganization meeting May 1, 2013

The meeting began awkwardly with some very negative and downright mean-spirited comments from a few members of the public about outgoing mayor and city councilman, Dave Golonski. In the General Election last month, Golonski lost his bid for re-election.  Still, on this day, Golonski was gracious to his critics and responded by saying, “It’s really a great thing in our country that people can say whatever they want. Certainly, they can say things that are far out from the truth. That’s their right. They can express their opinion.”

When it came time for his farewell remarks, the mayor continued to be thoughtful, polite, and unapologetic: “It’s been a pleasure over the last 20 years to serve a community that is as proud and great as this community… I don’t regret, for one instance, any decision that I made… I did this 20 years with my eyes wide open… made a lot of decisions … I’m sure some were not the best decisions … I made the decision that I thought was in the best interest of our community. .. all I can say is that for the 20 years I did the best I could…”

Golonski touted his dedication to volunteer organizations, support of the youth, seniors, and other groups in the community.  For this, he deserves praise and received some on this site. Yet, I was a strong critic of Golonski’s insistence on leading the council to reject Dr. Gordon as mayor or vice-mayor. In Golonski’s mind, his fellow councilman was unworthy. That was a deal breaker for me. Ultimately, the voters had the final say when they stripped Golonski of power by voting him out of office.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G — Councilman David Gordon at the reorganization meeting for the Burbank City Council May 1, 2013

There have been some bitter battles and there remain some major philosophical differences between Golonski and Gordon. Yet, Gordon took the high road and delivered some respectful remarks about Golonski:  ”It’s importance to recognize the service of Mayor Golonski … whether you agree with him or not is a separate issue.. the fact that he was willing to step up… is an example for everyone to know …that’s what you do in government in our country.. — you serve and you step down when the time comes.”

Photo: FLLewis/ Media City G — Mayor Emily Gabel-Luddy spoke about her agenda for the coming year at the reorganization council meeting at City Hall May 1, 2013

Still, old habits and old ties remain on the council, despite Golonski’s departure. Before joining her fellow council members in a unanimous vote for Gordon to be vice-mayor, Mayor Gabel-Luddy made this comment: “I just like to say that I’m going to vote for Dr. David Gordon. Because he was a top vote getter and represents a portion of this community. And I know that people may feel one way or another. But I am happy to join with you to vote in support, of his election to the vice-mayor.” I guess, Gabel-Luddy felt she had to explain her vote to her mentor, Golonski.

In true Gordon fashion, the new vice-mayor corrected the faux pas in Gabel-Luddy’s statement: “I don’t believe I just represent a segment of the community, I represent the entire community, everybody.(applause)  Each and every member of the council serves an at large position .They represent each and every member of the community. It’s their obligation to represent each and every member of the community. We just took an oath of office to do so. I will continue to do so.”

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G — Burbank Treasurer, Debbie Kukta smiled at Councilman Bob Frutos as he expressed his joy after their swearing in at City Hall May 1, 2013

On of the most amusing scenes of the meeting was new Councilman, Bob Frutos, sharing his joy at joining the panel. He delivered probably the best line of the event. In reference to his election, Frutos  thanked the voters and exclaimed:” When was the last time someone killed it in the primary?” Well, it has been a long time since a newbie won a council seat in the primary and more than 10 years since an incumbent council member lost out in a run for re-election.

Frutos has a right to be proud and excited. His achievement is remarkable. Yet, I must remind Frutos and the rest of the council,there’s a lot of work to be done and the expectations are high.  President John F. Kennedy said in his inauguration speech, January 20, 1961: “For of those to whom much is given, much is required.”

Oh, wow, temperatures are going to sizzle under sunny skies in the Media City today. The weather watchers have been predicting it for days — now the heat has arrived. At 10:30 a.m. it hit 79 degrees. Today’s high in Burbank is expected to top 90. The lows tonight in the 60s.  The same is on tap for tomorrow. Yet, by next Monday, we could be scrambling to for umbrellas because of rain showers. That’s spring in the Southland.

City council reorganization meeting

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Burbank City Hall at 275 East Olive Avenue.

Important meeting at Burbank City Hall tomorrow morning. Officially, it is called the reorganization of the city council. To many voters, activists, and concerned citizens it is considered a changing of the guard and the ushering in of a new era in local government. The leader of the old guard, 20-year veteran City Councilman/Mayor, Dave Golonski, will be stepping down and after being voted out in the General Election, earlier this month.

Newly-elected City Councilman, Bob Frutos, will be sworn in along with re-elected members, Dr. David Gordon and Jess Talamantes.  A new mayor and vice-mayor will be selected by the council members. Who is picked for those positions will say a lot about this new council. Stay tuned.

The re-organization meeting is in the city council chambers at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

Kudos for the Burbank Traffic Commission

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Chair of Burbank Traffic Commission, David Carletta, spoke out at the city council meeting about the need to widen on Victory Place under the rail crossing bridge April 16, 2013

Four concerned citizens and members of the Burbank Traffic Commission took their plea for some action on a critically congested section of Victory Place straight to the city council on April 16, 2013. The commission members, Brian Malone, Kevin Harrop, Linda Barnes and Chairperson, David Carletta were clearly frustrated by apparent efforts by certain city staffers to derail their proposal from reaching the city council.

Rather than give-up, these dedicated commissioners, took their concerns directly to the city council during public comments. For over two years, the commissioners claimed they have been voicing their concerns to staffers like the Traffic Engine Ken Johnson and Public Works Director Bonnie Teaford. Anyone who has driven Victory Place to get to Costco or the Empire Center knows what a traffic bottleneck that is.

This is where Councilman Golonski shines. While some council members easily buy the excuses and scare tactics of the staffs, Golonski is skeptical. The mayor said he was “disappointed” it took so long for the commission’s recommendation to reach the council. Also, he observed: “… when staff doesn’t support something it’s hard for it to get a fair hearing.”

Golonski proposed bringing in an independent consultant to come up with a solution to that traffic nightmare at the Five Points intersection and the nearby underpass on Victory Place. The council voted 4-to-1 to have the staff bring back a cost assessment for an outside traffic consultant. A clear victory for the traffic commissioners.

Fallout from Measure “S” ballot  failure

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Wheelchair bound Burbank resident, Penny Proctor, gave a passionate speech to the city council about the hardships facing some citizens due to the failure of Measure "S" in the recent General Election April 16, 2013

To most voters, Measure “S” on the April 9, 2013 ballot, was just another tax. To add to the measure’s negative vibe, it supports a program run by the Burbank Water and Power, known to jack up residents utility rates while handing out fat raises to top officials ant dropping bundles of money on pet projects.

However, resident Penny Proctor, put a face on the measure when she spoke to the city council at the April 16, meeting about what it is like to struggle to pay those high utility rates if you’re low income. Proctor is one of about 1,900 residents on the Burbank Water and Power Lifeline Program. Measure “S” would have continued the discounts for sewer and refuse rates for those on the Lifeline plan, by a special tax on utility bills for all other users.

On April 22, I got an email response from Burbank City Clerk, Zizette Mullins, saying: “…  Mrs. Teaford, Public Works Director spoke with Ms. Proctor last week and clarified the issue with her.’ Well, that’s not quite the case. I’ve spoken with Proctor twice and she told me the issue, “… has not been resolved.” Penny believes the voters did not realize what they were voting against and wants to see the measure “put back on the ballot.”

Meanwhile, the Lifeline benefits for many disabled and low income residents are scheduled to go away in July. Proctor was told the city staff is going to go before the city council in May with some “alternatives.” She plans to keep up her quest until some relief is found for these needy residents. Three cheers for Penny.