Stolen turtle, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, amazing avalanche survivor: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Montgomery: The Xscape Tapas Grille has been fined nearly $25,000 by the city following a Valentines Day record-release party for a local rapper that violated occupancy limits. The club has a maximum occupancy rating of 99. The party for rapper D-Aye packed the club with 342 people, meaning it was 243 over the rated capacity. Because of this, the city fined the club $100 per person over the limit for a total of $24,300. Xscape owner Frank Walker appeared in front of the City Council on Tuesday to review the violation. Walker asked the Council to reduce what his attorney called an excessive fine, but was told he would need to appeal the fine to city administration. He argued he was bringing people together for a positive event to celebrate a rare success in Montgomery, but more people showed up than expected. Walker’s attorney, Preston Presley, said Walker was looking into installing a $30,000 sprinkler system that would allow him to expand capacity of the club. Councilwoman Audrey Graham brought up a past violation in March 2019 when Xscape was 42 people over capacity. “The first time there was a small amount and you paid the fine and we are here again,” Graham said. Graham did ask if the Council could reduce the fine. Councilman CC Calhoun said the fine was set by ordinance and the only way it could be reduced was by an administrative process through the mayor’s office. When asked if the mayor’s administration would appeal the fine, Director of Public Information Michael Briddell said he didn’t know what the mayor’s response would be, but other mayors have been reluctant to throw out a fine.

Alaska

Galena: A dog musher participating in an event near Galena was injured when she was struck by a snowmobile. Kirsten Bey, 64, of Nome was flown from Galena to Fairbanks with what Alaska State Troopers called “significant” injuries. Bey on Sunday night was participating in the Serum Run. After leaving Ruby, she was hit about 5 miles outside of Galena. Another participant in the Serum Run transported her to Galena by snowmobile. Troopers received word of the crash Monday. The driver of the snowmobile who struck Bey later contacted troopers and is cooperating with the investigation, troopers said.

Arizona

Phoenix: K-12 public district school spending increased in the state by $475 million from 2018 to 2019, but the boost to teacher salaries promised by Gov. Doug Ducey fell short, according to a new report. The state Auditor General’s annual report examining classroom spending found that school districts spent 54.7% of their funding in the classroom in fiscal year 2019, a slight increase from 54% in 2018. It’s the third year in a row that classroom spending rose. The report also examined Arizona teacher salaries. Ducey in 2018 promised a 20% teacher raise by 2020. According to Ducey’s plan, about 10% of that raise would have been sent to schools by July 2019 to distribute. But during that period, according to the report, the average teacher salary actually went up 8.4%. The report does not include classroom spending data on public charter schools.

Arkansas

Little Rock: A Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he will commute the life sentence of a woman convicted more than three decades ago of fatally shooting her husband, who had physically abused her. Hutchinson announced his intent to make Willie Mae Harris, 72, immediately eligible for parole, citing the physical abuse Harris suffered. Harris was convicted of first-degree murder in 1985. Harris admitted to shooting her husband, Clyde, but said it was an accident related to self-defense. Harris is legally blind and the state Parole Board several times over the years has recommended she receive clemency. Her case has gained renewed attention in recent months following columns by Arkansas Democrat-Gazette columnist Mike Masterson and a story by The Appeal, a website focused on criminal justice issues. In her most recent application for clemency, Harris said she did not receive a fair trial because none of the evidence of the abuse she suffered was presented. She included an affidavit from her aunt, who said Clyde Harris once broke Willie Mae’s hand with a universal joint from a car. Hutchinson also said planned to commute the sentence of Robert R. Johnson Jr., 36, who was sentenced in 2008 to 86 years in prison on multiple nonviolent drug offenses.

California

Temecula: A man who became wedged deep inside a narrow storm drain was extricated Tuesday following an hours-long rescue operation mounted by firefighters. The man, whose name was not released, was discovered about 1 a.m. about 270 feet inside the tunnel in the 31000 block of Hickory Place, near Aspen Way, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. There was no immediate word on how or why he got into the drain. A half-dozen engine crews and three truck companies, as well as a hazardous material unit, were sent to the location and initiated attempts to pull the man out of the 18-inch diameter passage, but he was uncooperative for unspecified reasons, and personnel had to switch strategies, according to the fire department. The ensuing technical rescue using industrial equipment, and relying on assistance from the Eastern Municipal Water District and the Temecula Department of Public Works, succeeded in removing him from the drain shortly after 9 a.m., according to the fire department. The man was taken to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar for treatment of what were described as moderate injuries.

Colorado

Fort Collins: The city has reached a $325,000 settlement with a woman who said she was beaten by a police officer in 2018 while being arrested on suspicion of shoplifting at a Target store, attorneys said. Natasha Patnode has said former police officer Todd Hopkins struck her with his fist and baton 50 times, sat on her and tased her, the Coloradoan reported Tuesday. Patnode reached the settlement with the city on Feb. 13, defense attorney David Lane said. City attorney Carrie Daggett confirmed the agreement. Hopkins responded to a shoplifting call from Target, authorities said. He was not wearing a body-mounted camera because his shift had just ended, but Target surveillance footage showed Hopkins grabbed Patnode by the collar, took her to the ground, used pepper spray and sat on Patnode as he tried to handcuff her, the newspaper said. Then-interim Police Chief Terry Jones requested an investigation of Hopkins, who resigned after it determined he should be fired. Patnode pleaded guilty to assault and resisting arrest. A shoplifting charge was dismissed.

Connecticut

Hartford: The largest organization of cities and towns in Connecticut has called on the state and businesses to provide them with more help in addressing the expensive environmental fallout from chemicals in firefighting foam and similar products. The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities said the $2 million in borrowing Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont proposed in his budget is good but not enough. The funding is supposed to help cities and towns get rid of the foam, which contains toxins often called “forever chemicals,” and replace it with different firefighting products through a new buy-back program. There’s also more than $857,000 proposed in Lamont’s budget for things like replacing firefighting foam used by state agencies and to plan and test for the chemicals in statewide surface water and sediment. High levels of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, collectively called PFAS, have been found in drinking water systems in Greenwich, Willimantic and Enfield, the Hartford Courant reported in February. There were also multiple spills of thousands of gallons of firefighting foam containing the chemicals that entered the Farmington River last year.

Delaware

Wilmington: A Muslim cemetery that failed a code inspection and was ordered closed was granted special permission to bury a 1-year-old child, officials said. The Muslim Cemetery of Delaware in New Castle County was issued the permit this week, and will be able to continue burying people regularly once safety concerns are met, County Executive Matt Meyer said at a news conference Wednesday. The county closed the cemetery last week after learning it did not meet state code because it failed to provide designated parking spaces or paved paths through the grass, The Delaware News Journal reported. Officials were alerted to the problems after a rainy day this winter when visitors were seen placing wood planks over the ground to avoid mud, said Imam Muhammad Salaam of the Muslim Center of Wilmington. The Islamic Cemetery of Delaware remains registered with the state Department of Health and Social Service to have a cemetery on the property, and is legally permitted to perform funerals there once the safety issues are addressed. The county granted the cemetery a special permit for the Friday burial of infant Ja-Ziyah Gordon, who was set to be taken off life support after a battle with a terminal lung condition, the newspaper reported.

District of Columbia

Washington: Librarians at some district public schools could see cuts in their positions next year, according to the Washington Teachers’ Union, WUSA-TV reported. The school district confirmed that it received “some” petitions regarding librarians in the budget submissions, but could not confirm the number. According to DCPS policy, librarians are classified as a “Level 2 staff member,” which means “flexible with petition.” Essentially, schools are not required to maintain the position if they state a case for the reallocation of that money to other needs. The union tweeted that 25 petitions have been submitted to get rid of librarians, saying the announcement came at a meeting with librarians Tuesday night. DCPS confirmed 25 petitions have been submitted to get rid of librarians. All but three came from East of River. The union and librarians said they’re concerned that increased budget cuts could cost them their jobs, and cost children the access to resources that Boyd said they will need to succeed.

Florida

Miami: Fears of the new coronavirus have led to postponement of the three-day Ultra electronic dance music festival, city officials said. The festival that draws thousands of people from around the world was set to begin March 20 at Miami’s downtown Bayfront Park. Steven Ferreiro, chief of staff for City Commissioner Manolo Reyes, said the event will be postponed, with an official announcement expected Friday. It’s likely Ultra could be postponed until 2021, meaning there would be no festival this year, officials said. Mayor Francis Suarez had said at an earlier news conference that Ultra should not go forward because of the coronavirus concerns. It wasn’t immediately clear how the postponement will affect people who bought tickets or whether other satellite events would still take place. Among the acts scheduled to perform at the main event are David Guetta, The Chainsmokers, Afrojack, Cash Cash, Martin Garrix and Galantis, according to the Ultra website.

Georgia

Atlanta: The state Senate unanimously passed legislation to restrict practices by pharmacy benefit managers – companies that run prescription drug coverage for insurers and other groups – just a day after the state House took similar action. The bill would require pharmacy benefit managers, called PBMs, to pass along discounts they receive from drug manufacturers for a particular medication to consumers. It would also subject PBMs to surcharges for ordering patients to use an affiliated pharmacy and require them to cover the cost of prescriptions at other pharmacies, among other provisions. It passed the Senate by a vote of 52-0, after the House passed a companion bill 165-1 on Wednesday. Supporters of the measure are concerned that PBMs – viewed as middlemen by critics – are overcharging patients, squeezing pharmacies and stifling competition that could bring down drug costs. PBMs argue that drug makers are responsible for setting initial prices, and they use their purchasing power to achieve savings.

Hawaii

Honolulu: A councilman accused of leading a methamphetamine ring must be held without bail, a U.S. judge ruled Wednesday. Arthur Brun led a major drug-trafficking conspiracy involving 11 other defendants since at least June 2019, while serving as an elected member of the Kauai County Council, prosecutors said after his arrest last week. Brun, vice chair of the council’s Public Safety and Human Services Committee, has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors argued in court documents that Brun must be denied bail because in allegedly leading the meth ring, he supplied guns, conspired with a gang leader, requested sexual favors for drugs and assaulted a law enforcement officer. Brun obtained meth from a leader of the United Samoan Organization gang and had the drugs mailed to Hawaii from California, prosecutors said. Another co-defendant is a convicted felon whom Brun used for protection, prosecutors said. Crystal meth is the drug of choice in Hawaii, where it’s known locally as “batu” or “ice.” Mailing or shipping drugs to Hawaii became more common with increased airport security after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, when it got more difficult to smuggle drugs through air travel.

Idaho

Boise: Legislation significantly increasing what it will cost nonresidents to hunt deer and elk in Idaho has been signed into law by Gov. Brad Little. The Republican governor signed the measure Tuesday that the Idaho Department of Fish and Game said resident hunters asked for so there will be less overcrowding in the field. Fish and Game is doing that by capping how many nonresidents can hunt deer and elk. But that will result in reducing Fish and Game revenue with fewer nonresident hunters. Estimates put the loss at $5.4 million and $9 million a year. To make up for that, Fish and Game is increasing hunting and fishing costs for nonresidents. Most notably, the costs for elk and deer hunting are going up dramatically, which are the two most profitable areas for Idaho Fish and Game. An elk tag for a nonresident hunter would cost $650. A fishing license would cost about $106. The increases will go into effect on Dec. 1. Fish and Game officials said the increases are the first in 10 years for nonresidents and put the state more in line with what neighboring states charge nonresidents for hunting and fishing. About 39,000 nonresidents bought elk and deer tags in 2019.

Illinois

Chicago: Casey Urlacher, a brother of Chicago Bears Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to federal charges alleging he was part of an offshore sports gambling business. Urlacher, the mayor of the suburban Chicago village of Mettawa, entered his plea with nine others in U.S. District Court. He is charged with conspiracy and running an illegal gambling business. Prosecutors alleged Urlacher and the others were part of a ring that raked in millions of dollars. Urlacher, 40, acted as an agent for the gambling ring. He is accused of recruiting bettors in exchange for a cut of their eventual losses. acting with Urlacher as an agent was Nicholas Stella, 42, a Chicago police officer, prosecutors said. Stella has been stripped of his police powers. Among the other “agents” charged were Matthew Knight, 46, of Mokena; Justin Hines, 40, of Algonquin; Todd Blanken, 43, of Cary; Matthew Namoff, 23, of Midlothian; Vasilios Prassas, 37, of Chicago; and Keith Benson, 49, of Lombard. The ring was headed by 54-year-old Vincent DelGiudice of Orland Park, who paid a Costa Rica-based sportsbook a service fee to use its online platform and recruited gamblers to place wagers on the website, according to prosecutors. DelGiudice pleaded not guilty during Wednesday’s hearing and was released on his own recognizance. DelGiudice’s father, Eugene, 84, was also charged. Urlacher was elected mayor of Mettawa in 2013 and re-elected four years later. He said at a village meeting this week he intended to stay on as mayor while he fights the charges. However, he did resign from his position on the Illinois Civil Service Commission, to which he was appointed in 2013 by then-Gov. Pat Quinn.

Indiana

Carmel: Hamilton County Parks officials believe a 10-year-old turtle named Sputnik was stolen from Cool Creek Nature Center and are appealing to his abductor to return him, no questions asked. “Don’t just release him in the wild, he wouldn’t be able to survive,” said Parks and Recreation Director Al Patterson. “Our only goal here is to get Sputnik safely back in his enclosure.” Authorities said Sputnik was last seen during feeding time on Feb. 15 but was not discovered missing until Feb. 18 after President’s Day. He lived in a 50-gallon glass case on a stand, about eye level for small children, and was apparently lifted out and smuggled through the doors. “Unfortunately, we can’t keep our eyes on everyone at all times,” Patterson said. Sputnik is described as 8 inches tall and 6 inches wide, weighing 1¹/₂ pounds with a ruddy brown shell, four claws and a happy disposition. He needs vegetables daily and sunlight and is accustomed to regular veterinarian care. There are no security cameras at the center and leads about Sputnik’s whereabouts have been few, Patterson said. Anyone with information about the tortoise can call Cool Creek Nature Center at (317) 774-2500 or the county parks offices at (317) 770-4400.

Iowa

Decorah: A bald eagle known as Mrs. North laid her third egg on March 4, according to a livestream by the Raptor Resource Project. The Project estimated that Mrs. North would lay her first egg between Feb. 17 and Feb. 23, and she ended up laying her first egg on Feb. 21 and the second on Feb. 24 – just as she did in 2019. The nest is high in a white oak tree on private property near a stream. Another bald eagle named Mom Decorah laid her first egg on Feb. 26 and second on Feb. 29. According to the Project, this likely will be Mom Decorah’s last egg of the 2020 season. She is almost 17 years old and has now laid 36 eggs on the property, the project said in a Facebook post. Mom Decorah is mated to Decorah Male Two. Her original mate disappeared in April 2018. Their nest is settled in a tree near a trout hatchery. According to the project, eggs typically hatch in about 35 days, so viewers could be seeing at least one eaglet from either Mrs. North or Mom Decorah by late March or early April. A livestream of the Decorah eagle nest, which began last June for this mating season and has been following the eagles for 10 years, is consistently watched by more than 1,000 people. To view the livestream, visit www.raptorresource.org/birdcams/decorah-eagles.

Kansas

Topeka: A private school was closed Thursday after thieves broke in and stole technology, sports uniforms and damaged at least 10 rooms. Police said thieves broke into Topeka Lutheran School early Thursday. The damage was discovered when teachers and staff arrived to work, WIBW reported. More than 20 laptops and Chromebooks, several iPads, food, a document camera, cash, a security storage system and sports uniforms were taken, police said. The school canceled classes Thursday so teachers and staff could clean up the damage.

Kentucky

Whitesburg: Letcher County Schools has removed a Bible verse from an athletic locker room after receiving a complaint from the Freedom from Religion Foundation. The decision came after the organization sent a letter to the district stating that the message violated the Constitution, schools Superintendent Denise Yonts told WYMT-TV on Wednesday. Yonts said officials decided to paint over the verse after consulting with the school board attorney becuase it was not a student-generated display. Freedom from Religion Foundation co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor said in a statement that she applauded the action.

Louisiana

Shreveport: Bossier Parish deputy Verdis Walker was promoted to Command Sergeant Major of the Louisiana National Guard. “It’s been a long time in the making. This is my 30th year as a guardsman and I’ve reached the pinnacle in the enlisted ranks,” Walker said. The ceremony was held at the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Training Academy because Walker is going through police training at the academy. He is set to graduate from the academy on April 24.During the ceremony, Walker expressed this thanks and appreciation to multiple people in the audience, including his mother and father, who sat in the front row. Walker graduated from Haughton High School in 1984 and enlisted in the Louisiana National Guard a few years later. He started in the Army band in Bossier City and then moved into the Recruit Sustainment Program to help recruits prepare for basic training. Later, he deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, with the 39th Military Police of Camp Minden. For his service there, Walker was awarded a Bronze Star. He was sworn into the Bossier Sheriff’s Office by Sheriff Julian Whittington in March 2019. As of August 2019, Walker was assigned to the Bossier Maximum Security Facility.

Maine

Augusta: A proposal to beef up health insurance benefits for retired emergency responders has received the approval of a state legislative committee. The bill from Democratic Sen. Nate Libby is designed to make stronger the state’s law about the health insurance program for retired firefighters and law enforcement officers. The Labor and Housing Committee unanimously approved the proposal on Wednesday. A previous law sponsored by Libby created a change in which counties and municipalities that employ first responders must notify them of the Retired County and Municipal Law Enforcement Officers and Municipal Firefighters Health Insurance Program less than two months after they are hired. Libby’s new proposal makes changes such as removing the requirement of five years of contributions by enrollees. It also changes the percentage of gross wages for contributions. The bill must pass the full House of Representatives and Senate to become law.

Maryland

Annapolis: A measure to extend the state’s sales tax to most professional services has been rejected by a House subcommittee on Wednesday night. The measure would have raised an estimated $2.9 billion in fiscal year 2025. It was proposed to pay the state’s share of a major education funding plan that is advancing in the legislature. However, the extension of the tax was widely opposed by Maryland business groups. Del. Eric Luedtke sponsored the bill. He said a House subcommittee has advanced a smaller package of revenue measures for the education proposal, which would be phased in over 10 years. The Montgomery County Democrat said on Twitter that officials will have more work to do in the future to fund later years in the education measure.

Massachusetts

Boston: The city’s first recreational marijuana shop – and the state’s first black-owned one – is set to open next week. The Cannabis Control Commission on Thursday authorized Pure Oasis to begin operations in three calendar days or later. The “commence operations” notice was the last administrative step needed after regulators awarded it a final license last month. Owners Kobie Evans and Kevin Hart said they plan to welcome the first customers to their storefront in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood at 11 a.m. Monday. Pure Oasis is the first store to open after participating in the state’s “equity” programs to help black, Latino and other businesses owners from communities impacted by the war on drugs enter the legal marijuana industry. Massachusetts has nearly 40 retail marijuana locations, but only one is in Greater Boston: New England Treatment Access, in the affluent suburb of Brookline. Black and Latino groups have voiced their frustration for months at the slow pace of approvals for minority-owned businesses in Massachusetts and nationwide. And in Boston, Democratic Mayor Marty Walsh has faced criticism for his city’s particularly slow rollout of pot shops since voters approved legalizing marijuana in 2016. On Wednesday, Walsh announced he had appointed five people to a new Cannabis Board meant to oversee the local approval process.

Michigan

Detroit: Art Van Furniture, the metro Detroit-based company and the Midwest’s top furniture and mattress retailer, said it is shutting down and will begin liquidation sales at all of its company-owned stores in Michigan, Illinois, Missouri and Ohio. The shock announcement comes just three years after the company’s sale by the Van Elslander family to a private equity firm. Boston-based private-equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners bought a majority stake in Art Van Furniture in early 2017, about a year before the death of company founder Archie Van Elslander at age 87. Art Van is expected to declare bankruptcy early next week. The filing would be a Chapter 11 reorganization, yet could potentially result in the permanent closure and liquidation of all Art Van Furniture stores – unless one or more buyers step forward to rescue the retailer. The liquidation sales will begin Friday at all Art Van Furniture, Art Van PureSleep and Scott Shuptrine Interiors in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and Missouri, as well as select Levin & Wolf stores in Maryland and Virginia. The Art Van stores are to close in 60 days. Art Van has about 190 stores and about 3,100 employees. Twenty of the stores are franchise locations, situated in the company’s “outmarkets” including the Upper Peninsula, Alpena, Mount Pleasant and Owosso in Michigan and in Indiana.

Minnesota

Sartell: Riders of the Metro Bus ConneX on-demand ride service could see fares double for the remainder of the program’s pilot phase this year. The Metro Bus Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on the proposed change at 3:30 p.m. March 17 at Sartell City Hall, according to a release from Metro Bus on Tuesday. After a period of public comment, the board will vote whether to increase the fare for a single ride from $1.25 to $2.50, effective April 1. Fares for regular bus routes and Dial-a-Ride service will remain unchanged, and the increase wouldn’t affect free transfers. The service began its pilot program in January 2019, and was originally scheduled to last six months. It has been extended twice and ran through the end of December. Beginning February, the service began reduced hours and expanded its service area into the portion of Sartell east of the Mississippi River. Riders on the ConneX service can call to request pickup, after which a bus picks them up and anyone else requesting the service along the way. The service drops off at destinations or connects to regular bus lines. The service replaced most of Route 32 to cut down on expenses from constantly moving empty buses. The pilot program will end Dec. 31, after which the board will decide whether to make it a permanent service.

Mississippi

Starkville: A man sentenced to 120 years in prison on a drug charge will soon be free. Circuit Judge Lee Howard freed 66-year-old Felix Wynn of Starkville during a hearing Tuesday at the Oktibbeha County Courthouse based on new sentencing guidelines, news outlets reported. Wynne was convicted in 2006 on two counts of selling cocaine. As a habitual offender, he was given 60 years for each count and a $2 million fine. Howard resentenced Wynne for the time he has served, 13 years and 10 months, and dropped the fine. Wynne will be held in the county jail until the Mississippi Department of Corrections processes his paperwork. His attorney, Roy A. Perkins, and the judge believe the paperwork process should take about four days. Perkins argued that the 120-year sentence was a misinterpretation of the law. Howard initially sentenced Wynn under a statute that orders the maximum sentence with no parole and no chance of early release, according to circuit court documents. Perkins said Howard was wrong to believe the maximum sentence was the only option, and he cited state Supreme Court precedent from 2017 that a person can, but does not have to, receive a double prison sentence for a second charge, the Commercial Dispatch reported. Wynne briefly spoke before the court during Tuesday’s hearing, during which he apologized and took full responsibility for the crime, WTVA-TV reported.

Missouri

University City: A suburban St. Louis man accused of livestreaming threats to bomb and kill people in a bustling entertainment district while dressed as the Batman villain the Joker has been charged with terrorism. Jeremy Garnier, 48, of University City was charged Tuesday with a felony count of making a terrorist threat. A judge ordered Garnier held without bail, with court documents noting that he was a “danger to the community.” Court records did not list an attorney who can speak on his behalf. The charging document doesn’t indicate whether he was in possession of any explosives or was otherwise armed. Police responded Monday night to the Blueberry Hill restaurant and music club in the Delmar Loop neighborhood in University City after receiving a call about an active shooter, according to the charging document. The charges said Garnier had made threats while dressed as the Joker. A nearly hourlong livestream posted to the Facebook account for a Jeremy Joseph Garnier showed a man dressed as the Joker, complete with makeup, talking to the camera in a bedroom where he is putting on a costume. He’s later seen driving in his car, smoking a pipe and going to the St. Louis Galleria shopping mall in Richmond Heights, where he’s stopped by security and asked to leave. The video then shows him talking about ending the country’s opioid epidemic before he enters the venue where he orders a soda, saying: “I can’t be inebriated when I’m planning on, you know, killing a bunch of people.” Within minutes, the man was handcuffed with the livestream still rolling. Garnier has eight burglary and stealing convictions dating to 1990.

Montana

Bozeman: A snowmobile trail groomer survived after accidentally triggering an avalanche on Feb. 27 and being swept in his vehicle about 165 feet downhill. Daniel Kristensen, 30, of Belgrade, president of the Gallatin Valley Snowmobile Association, was working his way up an old logging road in the Gallatin Canyon that climbs out of Storm Castle Creek up and over the divide to Swan Creek. At about 8 p.m., he was about 3 to 5 miles from finishing when he encountered a large drift across the road. Using the PistenBully snow groomer’s front blade, he began breaking up the drift, pushing the snow off the road on the downhill edge. It was a route he had driven once earlier this winter. While grading the ,snow Kristensen triggered an avalanche on the slope above him. It broke 2 to 3 feet deep and 100 feet wide before crashing downhill on a 38-degree slope. In the 470 feet before reaching the road, the snow picked up speed and grew larger before striking the groomer on the driver’s side. When the machine came to a stop against some pine trees, it was right-side up and still running. Snow filled three-quarters of the cab because all of the windows had been broken out. Kristensen said he took about 30 seconds to assess the situation: he was alive, no limbs seemed broken and there was no blood gushing. Yet his mind was still in disbelief about what had happened. If the avalanche had been larger, if logs or rocks had been tossed into the cab as it rolled, or if his arm had been thrust out the window when the machine tumbled, the situation could have been much worse. “I got so lucky,” Kristensen said. “It’s a blessing for me.” He said he has a sore neck from the crash and scratched up his hands digging through the glass-filled snow in search of his gloves, but other than that, he’s OK. The club will now reasses where they groom because the route he was on doesn’t get a lot of traffic.

Nebraska

Lincoln: Dangerous weather conditions for brush fires were forecast Thursday for much of the state, meteorologists said. A red flag warning from the National Weather Service said low humidity and wind gusts up to 45 mph were expected. Brush fires have blackened thousands of acres across Nebraska this week, officials said. Regional 26 emergency manager Alma Beland estimated that firefighters battled flames Monday on between 1,500 and 2,000 acres between Thedford and Stapleton. A blaze north of Lodgepole forced closure of U.S. Highway 30 for a time Wednesday. It was contained by 6 p.m., officials said. It’s not clear how many acres were charred.

Nevada

Reno: Firefighters contained a blaze in an apartment building where two people were rescued by firefighters on ladders and a young child was dropped to safety from a third-floor window and caught by a passer-by Thursday. No injuries were reported. There was no immediate word on cause of the fire. Battalion Chief John McNamara said a fire truck on a nonemergency call diverted to the apartment building after firefighters spotted a large smoke column. Once there, they saw heavy smoke coming from second- and third-floor apartments. Arriving firefighters saw a crowd outside the building and a child being dangled out of a window, McNamara said. “Before they could stop them, the child was dropped and was caught. Then we threw some ground ladders up to the third floor windows and assisted the two residents out the windows,” he said. Other residents were evacuated without incident. Regarding possible injuries, it“made a huge difference” that the child was caught and that firefighters quickly rescued the two other people, he said. Firefighters quickly contained the fire but at least 12 units suffered damage, McNamara said. “It could have been a lot worse,” he said. Twelve fire trucks with approximately 50 firefighters responded to the three-alarm fire.

New Hampshire

Concord: A female bear who journeyed thousands of miles to return home after being saved and relocated by Gov. Chris Sununu is preparing to emerge from her den with three new cubs. Sununu joined Fish and Game officials on Wednesday to check on “Mink,” who was set to be euthanized along with three of her offspring in 2017 after repeated problems with them feeding from trash and bird feeders culminated with two bears entering a home in Hanover. Sununu instead ordered them to be moved to far northern New Hampshire, but by last spring, Mink had found her way back to her preferred home near Dartmouth College. The bear is hibernating in a den in the same area. Sununu said her three male cubs weigh just over 6 pounds each and are all in good health. Mink’s three yearlings were moved soon after the public outcry over the euthanasia plan in 2017, but one was killed within weeks by a hunter in Quebec, Canada. Mink wasn’t captured then because she left town to mate and later returned with four cubs in 2018. She was fitted with a tracking collar in June of that year and moved about 120 miles north, but returned to Hanover last May after traveling thousands of miles in a looping route through New Hampshire and Vermont. Officials favoring euthanasia had argued the animals were no longer afraid of humans and likely would find new neighborhoods to frequent if moved, or would eventually find their way back to Hanover.

New Jersey

Bridgewater Township: Two state troopers pulled a trucker to safety just seconds before his burning tractor-trailer exploded. Trooper Robert Tarleton had stopped a vehicle on Interstate 287 on Monday when he saw the truck become engulfed in flames after it hit a guardrail and bridge abutment, state police said. “He immediately returned the driver’s credentials and ran back to his troop car to request for fire and emergency medical services personnel to respond to the crash,” state police said. Tarleton drove to the scene of the crash, where State Police Lt. Edward Ryer, who was headed home from work, was trying to rescue the driver. Police body camera video showed the two troopers worked together to drag the trucker from the cab to safety seconds before it exploded. The driver sustained minor injuries. His name has not been released. The cause of the crash was under investigation.

New Mexico

Cuyamungue: A woman is facing a larceny charge after authorities said she stole a neighbor’s anatomical skeleton model that allegedly was making an offensive gesture toward her. Court documents filed Monday showed that Diana Hogrebe was charged with one count of larceny in connection with the skeleton heist, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. Hogrebe told Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies she was offended by the way the skeleton’s hand was posed – with the middle finger pointed up. Hogrebe told the Santa Fe New Mexican the episode was the culmination of a monthslong feud between her and neighbor Joseph Downs, who she said has hassled her family and other nearby residents. “I just, you know, had it,” Hogrebe said. “It was like the last straw that broke the camel’s back, and I don’t know what to do.” The skeleton has not been located, authorities said. According to the deputy’s statement of probable cause, the skeleton was a gift to Downs from a family member and was worth about $1,500.

New York

Albany: A reptile breeder in upstate New York has paid a $500 fine related to the possession of more than 150 venomous snakes in his home, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said. The DEC said in a report that investigators got a warrant to search the Orange County home of Darren Paolini after the man was hospitalized for a venomous snake bite last June. He had been bitten by a Taiwanese pit viper at his home, where he had a sophisticated breeding operation in the basement. Officers seized 157 live venomous snakes and several years of breeding records from Paolini’s Newburgh home. The snakes, which included 29 species, were turned over to the Bronx Zoo. DEC said Paolini told an investigator he gets snakes from importers, breeds them and trades the babies for new snakes. Paolini pleaded guilty to misdemeanor commercialization of wildlife charges in February and agreed to pay a fine, DEC said. In June, Paolini told News12 Westchester that he had studied Asian pit vipers for 30 years and was an expert on breeding them. “It’s just been a love in my life. A passion since a young child,” he said. He said he had believed reptile permits he obtained in 2005 were still valid.

North Carolina

Hillsborough: A federal inmate has died from injuries sustained in a fight with at least one fellow prisoner, authorities said. A verbal altercation between Maurice Antoine King, of Durham and at least one other inmate escalated late Wednesday at the Orange County Detention Center, a county sheriff’s spokeswoman said in a statement. King, 35, was taken to a hospital following the fight and was pronounced dead, the statement said. The other inmates involved were not immediately identified. Sheriff’s officials didn’t comment on the circumstances leading to the fight or the nature of King’s injuries. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office was continuing to investigate.

North Dakota

Minot: State regulators voted Wednesday to reject a permit for a proposed wind farm in Ward and McLean counties. The Public Service Commission denied the permit for Southern Power’s Ruso Wind project by a 2-1 vote, the Bismarck Tribune reported. But the commission left open the possibility of reconsidering the project. The project had difficulties complying with a 2017 state law requiring new technology to stop lights atop the turbines from blinking red all night. Southern Power planned to use radar-based light-mitigating technology, which would have turned off the lights at night except for when aircraft pass in the vicinity of the turbines. But the Minot Airforce Base raised concerns that the blinking lights could tip off an enemy to a helicopter’s location – the Air Force flies hundreds of helicopter missions annually to intercontinental ballistic missile sites, some near the proposed turbines. Others complained that flashing red lights would ruin the dark night sky. A message left with Southern Power was not immediately returned to the Associated Press.

Ohio

Cleveland: The city’s police chief will not discipline a police supervisor who detained a 12-year-old black youth’s sister the day the youth was fatally shot by a white police officer while playing with a pellet gun. Cleveland.com reported that Chief Calvin Williams dismissed the civilian complaint against Sgt. Janell Rutherford on Monday. Cleveland police Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said the decision would not become official until the end of a 30-day period during which an appeal can be made to the city’s Public Safety Director. The city’s Civilian Police Review Board had recommended in November that Rutherford receive an unpaid suspension of six to 10 days for keeping Tamir Rice’s 14-year-old sister, in the back of a police cruiser for over an hour after Tamir was shot in November 2014. Rice’s sister filed the complaint against Rutherford in 2015. Subodh Chandra, an attorney for the Rice family, issued a statement that said the children’s mother, Samira, “is no longer shocked by the unwillingness of the police chief to hold anyone accountable, but she is disappointed.”

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: Voters rejected a citizens’ initiative for a dedicated parks sales tax largely on the strength of voters’ opposition in Cleveland and Canadian counties, The Oklahoman reported. The loss was a blow to former Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid, who promoted the initiative campaign that collected nearly 8,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot. Former Ward 4 Councilman Pete White ran a shoestring campaign to pass the initiative. The campaign was a rare case of citizen legislating in Oklahoma City. Only five previous citizens’ initiatives had made it to the ballot since 1930. All five were approved. Two of those, in 1989 and 1990, created dedicated sales tax revenue streams for public safety and for the Oklahoma City Zoo.

Oregon

Klamath Falls: Because of low snow pack and precipitation, Gov. Kate Brown signed an executive order this week declaring a drought in Klamath County. Brown issued a drought declaration saying that the extremely low water supply is causing natural and economic disaster conditions heading into spring and summer, the Capital Press reported. The declaration gives state agencies the ability to expedite water management tools such as emergency water permits, exchanges, substitutions and in-stream leases to mitigate conditions on the ground. Snowpack is 35% below normal in the Klamath Basin as of March 4, according to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Mountain snow is crucial because it acts as a natural reservoir, replenishing streams and lakes during the irrigation season. Neighboring Rogue and Umpqua basins in Southern Oregon are also lagging behind typical nowpack , as are the Lake County and Goose Lake areas. Ken Stahr, surface water hydrology manager at the Oregon Water Resources Department, serves as co-chair of the state’s Drought Readiness Council, which considers requests from counties for drought aid. He said no other counties have filed applications yet, though now is the time of year when communities might begin to sense the impacts of drought.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: State troopers will now be allowed to have tattoos on their arms, but those who do will have to wear long-sleeved uniform shirts that conceal them when they are on duty, the agency announced Wednesday. In a statement, Col. Robert Evanchick, the state police commissioner, said the policy change reflects an “evolving public perception” about tattoos. The agency hopes the new policy will widen its field of potential recruits. Before Wednesday’s announcement, troopers could have tattoos, as long as they were not visible to the public. Troopers still cannot have tattoos that are above their neckline or below their wrist, the state police said. Tattoos that could be seen as hateful or discriminatory toward any race, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation or ethnicity are prohibited. A committee will review tattoos on prospective cadets during the hiring process.

Rhode Island

Providence: A man authorities have said is the leader of the Rhode Island chapter of the Hells Angels motorcycle club will remain behind bars after failing to “keep the peace” while out on bail. Superior Court Magistrate Richard Raspallo ordered Joseph Lancia, 28, of Smithfield to be locked up after being arrested over the weekend for a scuffle at a strip club, WPRI reported Wednesday. He was charged with disorderly conduct and simple assault in connection with a fight late Saturday night outside the Cadillac Lounge after a Providence police officer said he witnessed Lancia punch someone, knocking him unconscious. At the time, he was out on a $100,000 bail in a separate case after he was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly firing a gun at a truck as the driver was passing by the Hells Angels headquarters. Prosecutors at Tuesday’s hearing said that the Saturday night brawl broke the terms of his bail and asked that he remain in custody. His attorney, Joseph Voccola, said security video showed his client was coming to the defense of his fellow club members when he punched the off-duty member of the strip club’s security team. The judge ordered Lancia to be held without bail. He is due back in court on March 10.

South Carolina

Lancaster: Two people were accused of having 10 dead dogs and 26 malnourished animals on their property. Steppes Stagvelt Starwolf, 62, and Stevie Jenna Starwolf, 53, have been charged with ill treatment of animals, news outlets reported. The relationship between the pair was not stated. The dead and sick animals were found Friday during a welfare check at a home in Lancaster, according to a news release from the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office. Ten dog carcasses were found in a trash bag outside the house, the sheriff’s office said. No one answered the front door when officers arrived, but officials obtained a search warrant and entered the home. Authorities said 25 huskies and a cat were inside the house, some in cages. “None of the animals had accessible food or water, and all appeared to be malnourished and in ill health,” the release stated. Both suspects returned to the home Friday night with another dog in their vehicle. They appeared before a magistrate on Saturday. Both were released after posting $10,000 bond. It was unclear whether they had attorneys to comment on their behalf. The sheriff’s office said all of the animals were taken to a shelter for treatment.

South Dakota

Pierre: A proposal to give South Dakotans the option to take the written portion of driver’s license examinations in Spanish is headed to a final vote in the House after a committee approved it Thursday. Proponents from the Latino community in South Dakota told lawmakers it would empower them to get to work, take their kids to school and participate in community events. A similar proposals died last year, but the measure this year appears to have broad support, including from business groups. It has passed in the Senate. Alex Ramirez, a member of the Hispanic Business Network in Sioux Falls, said South Dakota is one of three states that does not allow driver’s license exams to be taken in Spanish. It has sent a message to Latinos that they are not welcome in the state, he said. Sen. V.J. Smith, a Brookings Republican who introduced the bill, said he has had to overcome attitudes from constituents and some lawmakers that people should only speak English. He pointed out that there are German-speaking communities in the state. The House Transportation committee passed the bill on an 8-3 vote. Lawmakers opposed to the measure said drivers should be able to read road signs in English.

Tennessee

Nashville: Two mobile units have been deployed to help residents who lost state driver’s licenses or photo identification in severe storms that ravaged Tennessee counties this week. Tennessee’s Department of Safety and Homeland Security said Wednesday that mobile units that can issue duplicate licenses or photo IDs have been sent to Nashville in Davidson County and Cookeville in Putnam County.Fees for duplicate licenses or IDs will be waived, officials said. Meanwhile, Tennessee’s Department of Commerce and Insurance has set up a facility at Centennial SportsPlex in Nashville to answer questions about insurance policies and storm coverage. Major insurance carriers will be in attendance also for people to make claims in person, officials said. Officials are also helping residents with insurance questions at the Wilson County Emergency Management Center in Lebanon and the Putnam County 911 Center in Cookeville. State emergency officials said 24 people died when fast-moving storms crossed Tennessee early Tuesday. Eighteen of them, including five preteen children, died in Putnam County, some 80 miles east of Nashville. Eighty-eight more were injured in the county.

Texas

Port Arthur: A 24-year-old man was sentenced Wednesday to 30 days in jail for posting on social media a video last August of himself removing an ice cream container from a Texas market freezer, licking the contents and returning the container to the freezer. D’Adrien Anderson, 24, also was sentenced to an additional six-month jail term probated for two years and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $1,565 in restitution to Blue Bell Creameries, which had to replace all of its products in the freezer. Anderson began serving his jail term immediately after sentencing. The incident happened Aug. 26 at a Walmart in Port Arthur. Store surveillance cameras showed that he finally took the Blue Bell ice cream from the freezer and bought it, which wasn’t captured in the social media video, authorities said. Anderson could have been sentenced to up to a year in jail and fined $4,000 for misdemeanor criminal mischief. Port Arthur is about 85 miles east of Houston.

Utah

Salt Lake City: Brigham Young University reiterated Wednesday that “same-sex romantic behavior” is not allowed on campus – dashing the hopes of LGTBTQ students who thought they could be more open after the college previously revised its code of conduct. The university, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, posted a letter online, saying it was clarifying a misinterpretation after it dropped a section of the code banning behavior that reflected “homosexual feelings.” A college administrator wrote that the recent revision doesn’t change the “moral standards” of the church or the faith’s opposition to same-sex marriage. The letter and an accompanying Q&A posted online don’t provide details about what romantic behaviors are and aren’t allowed, but seem to shut the door on the notion that gay and lesbian couples will be allowed to kiss and hold hands on campus like their heterosexual classmates. “Same-sex romantic behavior cannot lead to eternal marriage and is therefore not compatible with the principles included in the honor code,” wrote Paul V. Johnson, commissioner of the church education system. BYU officials said on Feb. 19 that questions about permitted behaviors by same-sex couples would be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, but the issue hadn’t been addressed again until the letter was released Wednesday. The clarification letter caused fury and heartbreak among LGBTQ students and allies, said former BYU student Addison Jenkins, a past president of a campus support group for gay and lesbian students. He called it “cruel” to dash the hopes of LGBTQ students who felt the campus climate would become more welcoming, and then two weeks later issue this new letter that shows “anti-queer rules” remain.

Vermont

Bennington: Twelve towns have voted to become founding members of a regional communications group to spread high-speed internet to underserved neighborhoods. Residents approved their town’s participation in the Southern Vermont Communications Union District this week, the Bennington Banner reported Wednesday. Tim Scoggins, the head of the task force that worked to create the group, said the new internet system will likely be in place within three to five years. The group plans to form a governing board made up of representatives from each member town. The board is expected to meet in April. The towns included in the group are Arlington, Bennington, Dorset, Landgrove, Manchester, Peru, Pownal, Rupert, Sandgate, Shaftsbury, Sunderland and Woodford.

Virginia

Richmond: For the fourth year in a row, nature lovers will be able to watch a livestream of a peregrine falcon nest in downtown Richmond. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has set up a live video feed of the nest on the 21st floor of the Riverfront Plaza building. The feed is available for viewing online at www.dgif.virginia.gov/falcon-cam. The department said in a news release that wildlife officials have confirmed that last year’s new male – identifiable by his bands – is back again with an unbanded female. In the past two years, there has been a lot of turnover in falcons at the site and no nesting, although the birds have appeared on camera. Officials said the return of the male falcon is a sign of some stability, and they are optimistic that the pair will breed successfully. The department, which manages the threatened birds, has collaborated for the last four years with Comcast Business to provide connectivity for the live broadcast. March is typically a busy month as falcons tend to nest during this time following a period of courtship, with the first egg laid around mid- to late-March. The falcon cam will remain live until July.

Washington

Moses Lake: A police dog had his left removed during surgery after being shot while chasing a suspect, authorities said. The suspect led police officers on a car chase for several miles Feb. 28 before getting out of the vehicle and running away, KING-TV reported. The suspect was pursued by an officer and his police dog partner, Chief, authorities said. The suspect shot Chief in the eye during the pursuit before officers returned fire, fatally shooting the suspect, police said. Chief initially needed a breathing tube, but was stabilized and treated over a few days by veterinarians at Washington State University. The bullet destroyed Chief’s eye and broke his jaw, but did not cause other permanent damage, health officials said. Chief had eye-removal surgery Wednesday before going home to recover, officials said.

West Virginia

Charleston: State officials announced a restoration project was underway to bring back bobwhite quail, which disappeared from the state in the late 1970s because of habitat destruction and harsh winters. The five-year plan launched last week when 48 of the birds were captured in Texas and released at the Tomblin Wildlife Management Area, news outlets reported. The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources was working with the Texas Parks and Wildlife agency on the plan, according to a news release from the governor’s office. Transmitters have been placed on some of the quail for monitoring. The goal is to create “a self-sustaining population” of quail, said Michael Peters, DNR Game Bird and Small Game Project Leader, in the release. The restoration effort has been underway for the past several years. The state DNR acquired the Tomblin WMA, a 32,000-acre tract of former surface-mined land in Logan and Mingo counties, in 2015.

Wisconsin

Milwaukee: Part of a city-owned closed landfill at 1600 E. College Ave. near Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport will be dedicated to generating solar power, under a resolution adopted by the Common Council. Aldermen on Tuesday unanimously approved leasing to We Energies about 8 acres, where the company will build and operate a 2.25-megawatt solar array through its Solar Now pilot program. The lease lasts 20 years. The resolution states that revenue from the lease “is intended” to be put toward other climate action initiatives. The lease payments will depend on what’s generated, but they’re estimated to be between $90,000 and $100,000 each year, Ald. Scott Spiker said. The city won’t pay anything to build or maintain the solar array, he said. It will be built next to the 128th Air Refueling Wing of the Air National Guard, and in an emergency, the solar field would provide a source of energy for the base should something happen to the electrical grid.

Wyoming

Cody: Actor Harrison Ford and rapper Kanye West will take part in a celebrity softball game for charity in Wyoming. The game June 13 in Cody will raise money for cancer research, organizer Ryan Brown told the Casper Star-Tribune. Other confirmed players include former Denver Broncos football players Byron Chamberlain, Spencer Larsen and Shawn Moore, said Brown, athletics director for the city of Cody and host of a local radio show. “The crazy thing is they don’t know who I am,” Brown said. “They’re just like, ‘Yeah, I’m in.’ It’s just amazing how people jump on stuff like this.” Tickets for the game and related events can be purchased online for as low as $2.24. Sponsorships range from $50 to $5,000. Ford is best known for his roles in the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” movie franchises. He has a home in Jackson. West recently bought two ranches in the Cody area and has become active in the community.