Hurricane Earl has been downgraded to a Category 2 storm and is about 80 miles off the North Carolina coast battering coastal communities with high winds, heavy rainfall and surge flooding. He’s going to weaken as he moves north along the East Coast. For Coastal Georgia, watch for heavier than normal surf this weekend and there’s still a danger of rip currents just off the beaches. Tropical Storm Fiona is a 50 mph storm near Bermuda that’s expected to weaken. And former Tropical Storm Gaston has degenerated into a remnant.

Another oil platform exploded in the Gulf of Mexico yesterday, about 100 miles off the coast of Louisiana. The rig caught fire, but this time, no one was killed, and no oil spilled.The Coast Guard initially reported that an oil sheen had begun to spread from the site of the blast, but hours later crews were unable to find any evidence of a spill. The company that owns the platform, Houston-based Mariner Energy, did not know what caused the explosion.

  44 year old Melissa McMillan, the woman who was struck by a car Tuesday in the crosswalk in the Walmart parking lot in Brunswick was listed in critical condition at Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah yesterday afternoon. McMillian’s condition has worsened. Glynn County police are investigated the accident and have interviewed the driver of the car.

Jurors who will decide if the killer of a former Brunswick District Attorney deserves the death penalty heard from loved ones of the victim yesterday. Some jurors cried as family members of Glenn Thomas Jr. described how Bobby Stribling’s actions have devastated their family. Stribling’s lawyer told the jury that his client is a slave to his addiction to crack cocaine and he intends to call drug addiction experts to testify on Stribling’s behalf.

The two juveniles who were with the 12 year old who was shot and killed during that home invasion on Egmont Street last May pleaded guilty to criminal trespass in Glynn County Juvenile Court yesterday. The two were initially charged with burglary but each plead guilty to the lesser charge

Within the next month, the city of Brunswick will implement a long delayed plan that will make some streets one way and end the need to parallel park in parts of downtown. Certain stretches of Grant street, Richmond street and Reynolds street will be one way and there’ll be more parking spaces along busy Newcastle Street.

 Yesterday in Washington, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hosted the first session of peace talks between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. It's the first time the two countries have talked peace in almost two years. There was no detailed negotiation on any substantive issue, but both leaders agreed to continue meeting every two weeks.