Central US braces for heat indexes to top 100

CHICAGO — High temperatures and humidity will bake much of the central U.S. this week, making it feel as hot as 115 degrees in some places and leading some cities to open cooling stations and take other precautions.

Authorities from Minnesota to Louisiana are warning people to take precautions and check on the elderly and other vulnerable neighbors and relatives.

Misty Black Bear, who works for the state, watched as her new chocolate ice cream cone immediately started melting in the sun.

Investigators think the girl climbed into the vehicle without her parents’ knowledge after overhearing conversations about going to her grandmother’s home for dinner, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.