NATION BRIEFS

OKLAHOMA/Snow hits Plains

A powerful storm began blowing through Oklahoma and the southern Plains on the first day of spring Saturday, bringing heavy snow and strong winds a day after temperatures reached into the 70s. Forecasters said gusts of up to 40 mph could create drifts of blowing snow and blizzard conditions in what the National Weather Service called "a potentially life-threatening" storm. Single deaths were reported in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. Forecasters said accumulations will average 4 to 8 inches over much of northern, central and eastern Oklahoma, with up to a foot in some areas northeast of Oklahoma City. In Kansas, 6 to 12 inches of snow were possible. Accumulations of 1 to 4 inches were forecast for north-central Kansas.

FLORIDA/Small-plane crash kills 3

A single-engine plane and a kit-built aircraft collided in clear, sunny skies Saturday over Central Florida, killing three people, authorities said. When emergency responders arrived, they found a plane engulfed in flames in a dense wooded area several hundred yards away. Two bodies were found in the Piper in the wooded area and a 73-year-old man was discovered in the other plane. Levy Sheriff's Office Capt. Evan Sullivan wouldn't release the victims' names, saying next of kin had to be notified.

CALIFORNIA/Whale meat closes eatery

A Santa Monica sushi restaurant accused of serving illegal and endangered whale meat is closing its doors. A statement posted on the restaurant's Web site, thehump.biz, says it's voluntarily closing its doors Saturday. A sushi chef at the high-end restaurant allegedly was caught serving whale meat. Typhoon Restaurant Inc., the parent company of The Hump, and the chef were each charged with illegally selling an endangered species product, a misdemeanor. Gary S. Lincenberg, an attorney for Typhoon, has said the restaurant accepted responsibility for the wrongdoing.