Severe winter storms claim 10; From Texas to Indiana, U.S. midsection is virtually shut down by winter's fury.(Main)

Byline: CHERIE HENDERSON Associated Press

Storms across the nation's midsection delivered freezing cold and as much as 10 inches of snow by Thursday, bedeviling drivers on slippery roads and closing schools from Texas to Indiana.

At least 10 people were killed in road wrecks in Kansas, Missouri and Kentucky over two days. In Texas, a mother and son died in a fire sparked by an improperly installed wood-burning stove.

In Chicago, a Southwest Airlines jet trying to land in heavy snow Thursday evening slid off a runway at Midway International Airport, crashed through a fence and skidded into a busy street. There were no reports of injuries on the …