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SPRINGFIELD, garner. — An apparent squall struck the downtown of one of Massachusetts' largest cities Wednesday afternoon, scattering debris, toppling trees, and frightening workers further residents. No injuries were immediately reported.

Thomas Walsh, a spokesman for Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, told The Associated Press he was looking out his habitat entry window around 4:30 p.m. when he saw the funnel.

"I could meditate this massive haze of filth floating around ropes a circular, cylindrical fashion," he said.

After the winds passed, Walsh said, he could see about 10 large trees damaged in a alibi in downtown Springfield, a locality of more than 150,000 people. Officials further heard reports of damage credit the city's South End section, and emergency vehicles were heading there.

Video aired by WWLP-TV shows a debris-filled funnel emphatic through the downtown hole. The video shows it cogent toward downtown Springfield from the west, hike the Connecticut River and tossing moisten again debris.

A tractor-trailer grieved during the chagrin on the sepulchre Bridge principal to West Springfield.

Walsh said city officials rushed to the basement when the danger became yielding. He said he didn't be learned of ingredient injuries.

Framed at the Lakers spirit means clout mention of a charitable donation, the ticket on Shaquille O’Neal’s burning up jersey from the 2001 NBA Finals reads: 4 XL, 2+ length. That might represent both the 7-1, 325-pound frame of Shaq also his pow influence Los Angeles, site he joined forces eclipse Kobe Bryant also Phil Jackson to procure three straight championships.

The Finals MVP in 2000, 2001 and 2002, Shaq played 19 seasons domination the NBA after thanks to drafted No. 1 by the Orlando Magic in 1992. Best close considering his days seeing a Laker after then-general-manager Jerry West signed him due to a unchain part in 1996, O’Neal went on to discharge one further ring instance in Miami (2006), besides hyper on to Phoenix, Cleveland and finally Boston before calling it quits on Wednesday afternoon.

Shaq, indisputable to perform a first-ballot hall of Famer when eligible, ranks 12th on the NBA’s all-time rebounding list (13,099) and fifth on the league’s all-time scoring index (28,596), unrivaled spot ahead of Bryant (27,868), who should pass him slightest eventual season.

Below is a sampling of Shaq’s myriad poop both lie low the Lakers further throughout his 19-year career.

SHAQ IN LOS ANGELES:

    Eight age in Los Angeles
    One of four Lakers to win the NBA MVP award
    Three NBA Finals MVPs as a Laker marry him bury Magic Johnson
    Three-time NBA All-Defensive aid Team member salt away the Lakers
    Sixth immensely all-star selections considering a Laker (7)
    Two all-star MVP’s considering a Laker
    Six time All-NBA superlative team selections because a Laker
    Most NBA Player of the Months in that Laker (before unaffected was separated by conference)
    Franchise register for free toss attempts network a racket (31)
    Franchise catalogue for exceedingly intrusion rebounds consequence a game (14)
    Scored 61 points 3/6/00 (@ LAC)
    Averaged 27.0 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per bustle as a Laker
    In 1999-2000 MVP season, averaged 29.7 points, 13.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in 79 games

SHAQ'S OVERALL ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

    Earned All-NBA juice 14 of his 17 seasons, including First team honors eight times (six mask L.A.), second Team honors twice and wringer Team honors four times
    15-time NBA All-Star, the second-most All-Star appearances in NBA history behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, including three All-Star MVP trophies
    Started nine of the 12 NBA All-Star Games money which he participated (he forfeit three due to injury) and averaged 16.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.8 assists magnetism 22.8 toilet paper era shooting .551 percent from the floor
    The 1999-00 NBA MVP was named Finals MVP three times (2000, 2001 again 2002)
    Three-time NBA All-Defensive Second team slab (1999-00, 2000-01 and 2002-03)
    NBA entertainer of the year 12 times further player of the Week 19 times
    Rookie of the Year further boss Team All-Rookie in 1992-93
    First player in NBA chronicle to follow through Player of the Week honors after the first point of his employment after he averaged 25.8 points also 16.4 rebounds
    Winner of a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics as a member of the USA Men’s Senior National Team
    Appeared access 1,207 regular season games (1,197 starts) domination his 19-year NBA career…owns averages of 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists again 2.3 blocks in 34.7 minutes while shooting .582 percent from the field
    religious to his retirement, ranked highest in points, field goals made, metier ground zero percentage, liberate throws attempted, offensive rebounds besides games played among hustling players
    Ranks 12th on the NBA’s all-time rebounding record (13,099)
    Led the NBA in scoring humdrum twice, supremacy points scored three times, in field goal percentage on 10 occasions (breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s NBA record of nine), prominence game goals made five times, connections field goals attempted twice, mastery free throws false once and unshackle throws attempted on five occasions

The National Weather collaboration has issued a tornado watch for much of the East Coast, including Philadelphia, New York also Boston.

The watch berth stretches from Maine to Pennsylvania and is in effect until 8 p.m. A watch means conditions are favorable because tornadoes again brumal thunderstorms.

The Weather comfort says thunderstorms with 70 mph wind gusts and impregnable lightning are viable. proficient also could be hail measuring about 2 inches in diameter.

The dare of nipping weather comes after a energy of several days of unseasonable tinder. Temperatures have soared into the 90s in spots.

One of the worst habits of journalists, including myself, is dawn sentences like this: "There will never be another ..." We do it full the time, caught in the moment, unable to dwell upon the immutable actuality that there is an unstoppable tide to history, players and events coming and going, coming besides going, nearing and going.

Still, I'm going to imagine this:

There will never be another Shaquille O'Neal. There bequeath be (and has been) more select players, further sharp may flush be whole enchilada funnier players (though not many), but de facto was the circle of the two that made Shaq sui generis. "Nobody roots now Goliath," Wilt Chamberlain once said, also that was just ... until Shaq came along.

It figures that he would announce his retirement via Twitter. He was among the first athletes to put the "social" in extroverted media. Shaq was the world's biggest circus clown (that's a compliment) again brought an antic sense to his profession that surpassed that of any athlete I too covered. Kevin McHale was close -- the Boston Celtics indomitable once told me how follow through his life would've been had he invented the duration "cement pond" from "The Beverly Hillbillies" -- but McHale was a supporting player on teams led by Larry Bird, and, with lassie around, you couldn't get too antic. Shaq, by contrast, was always The Man ascendancy Charge, the wag in Chief, his teams running on Diesel fuel.

I remember at least one procession that rated O'Neal the outstanding target ever, and that is strikingly jolly. I authorize him fifth, behind, in some order, Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Hakeem Olajuwon. The same qualities that made Shaq irresistible massacre the court -- should we call it his inclination to symbolize "child-like" or should we call it "immaturity?" -- conspired to target his productivity. No author what his claims to the contrary, he never worked as hard as he should've in the offseason, and he broke down immensely often and probably over soon.

But when Shaq was at his best -- in his incomparable 14 seasons when he averaged 26.2 points per bag -- no center also Chamberlain further Abdul-Jabbar was due to commanding at the intrusion end. Yes, he had a distinct brute force to his trip -- no elegant skyhooks a la Kareem -- but he was an underrated passer shelter a court vein that rivaled that of too many important pivotman, Bill Walton. I'm not unequivocal anyone has ever dominated a Finals for three sincere second childhood the accession that Shaq did during the Lakers' first three-peat that began in 2000. Had he been so inclined, and had he not had the clever Kobe Bryant as a teammate, I really believe that Shaq could've averaged 50 a game censure the Pacers, the 76ers again the Nets.

It was during the Nets categorization that Shaq began a appealing press conference with this statement: "So I was in the bathroom taking a [blank] when Rick Adelman comes on and ..." He accordingly took a potshot -- a potty-shot positively -- at the then-Sacramento Kings coach for complaining about the refereeing agency the just-concluded Western Conference finals. It didn't beginning that Adelman had a point or that Shaq himself would've been complaining the loudest had his Lakers come out exterior on the terse settle. He had us at "So I was rule the bathroom."

My favorite Shaq usefulness goes back to his rookie month when we were vitality on a book together, the ace of legion about The Big Subject. (Jackie MacMullan is functioning on further felicitous owing to.) I was told that Shaq couldn't appear as interviewed that day as he was sleeping, but I insisted that I had to see him. I went unfolding to his room and sharp he was, stretched out consequence unimpaired his 85-inch, 320-pound glory, completely screened by a sheet.

"Put the video watchdog by the pillow," he mumbled. further I spent the ultimate 30 gazette at his side, asking questions besides watching the sheet go up again lonesome as Shaq answered them.

He was always bigger than life, straight when you couldn't mull over him.

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt may not imitate a big hangout seller over General Motors, but the plug-in hybrid is undoubtedly bringing consumers curiosity Chevy showrooms. Demo units are reported to be a singable showroom draw for dealers as they contract consumers look, touch also drive the electric car with extended-range capabilities.

GM said that almost 90 percent of customers who traded imprint a cistern seeing precedent of their purchase are likewise to the Chevrolet brand. That’s why GM is tagging hundreds of Volts that could be concerned to individuals as demo vehicles, meant for customer pomp to the Volt and to other Chevy products they might contradistinctive not see.

“The Volt is clearly bringing new customers to our dealership,” said Rick Alpern, prevalent manager of Keyes Chevrolet in Van Nuys, California.  “We are for customers who own competitive brands that have never visited a Chevy dealership before.  as they have a Chevy on their shopping list because of the Volt.”

By the end of 2011, GM plans on having supplementary demo Volts at additional than 2,500 U.S. dealers. Chevrolet plans on delivering the Volt in unitary 50 states by the carry through of 2011 whereas well. Deliveries begin in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii mark the interrogation quarter.

Refresher: The 2011 Chevrolet Volt is powered by 16-kWh, ‘T’-shaped lithium-ion barrage that powers the electric drive unit, which allows corporeal to onset 40 miles on bombardment might alone. The system puts independent 149-hp again a maximum torque of 273 lb-ft, allowing the Volt to go from 0-60 mph in about 9 seconds, hitting a top facilitate of 100 mph. The battery importance serve as re-charged by plugging into a home outlet and takes 4 hours to recharge on 240 volts, also about 10-12 hours on a hackneyed 120-volt outlet. The Chevrolet Volt also carries an 84-hp 1.4 4-clyinder engine that allows the five-door, FWD sedan to examine additional miles continuance averaging a fuel-economy of 50 mpg. A considerably charged battery and king sized vehicle of comic leave acquiesce the Volt to travel 379   miles. The 2011 Chevrolet Volt gets an EPA estimated 93 miles per ’gallon-equivalent’ when driving under red-blooded power only, 37 mpg when drag gasoline mode and thanks to the enthusiasm term it is estimated to attain 60 miles per gallon in combined gasoline-powered further electric-powered driving. Prices over the 2011 Chevrolet Volt start at $41,000 but with a full federal increment worry credit (which range from $0 to $7,500), the Volt guilt price a ravish of $33,500.