‘Field of Dreams’ draw, 9/11 comedy, rubber shrub: News from around our 50 states
Alabama
Montgomery: The state told a federal judge last week that it has finished construction of a “system” to use nitrogen gas to carry out death sentences, an execution method authorized by state law but never put into use. The Alabama Department of Corrections indicated in an Aug. 2 court filing that it is waiting to make sure the nitrogen hypoxia system is ready before writing procedures for how it will be used. The prison system did not describe how the system would work or give an estimate on when the state may try to use the new execution method. Death would be caused by forcing the inmate to breathe only nitrogen, thereby depriving the subject of oxygen. Lawmakers theorized that death by nitrogen hypoxia could be a simpler and more humane execution method. But critics have likened the untested method to human experimentation. No state has used nitrogen hypoxia to carry out an execution, and no state has developed a protocol for its use, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. The information of the construction was disclosed in a court filing involving a lawsuit over the presence of spiritual advisers in the death chamber. State lawyers wrote that they did not yet know if a spiritual advisers could safely be present during an execution via nitrogen hypoxia.
Alaska
Anchorage: Gov. Mike Dunleavy has urged residents to get vaccinated as coronavirus cases spike, driven by the delta variant. “There is a safe, free and widely available tool to put COVID-19 in the rearview mirror,” Dunleavy said in a statement Wednesday. “That tool is the vaccine.” At least 385 state residents’ deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. Nearly 53% of eligible Alaskans have been fully vaccinated, according to the state health department. Dunleavy has previously urged Alaskans to get vaccinated. But the statement issued last week was more urgent because the state’s spike has been tied to the highly contagious delta coronavirus variant, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Hospitalization numbers have been steady over the past week but are considered high for Alaska, a state with a limited health care infrastructure and hospitals that are already close to capacity during the summer.
Arizona
Eloy: A small, often overlooked shrub could make a big difference in the rubber industry and change the face of farming in Pinal County, the Casa Grande Dispatch reports. For several years, tiremaker Bridgestone has been researching the native desert shrub guayule on a 300-acre farm in Eloy. The company is about to enter the second phase of its research pilot project, doubling acreage dedicated to the shrub and encouraging other growers to plant it as a crop. Guayule, a perennial woody shrub native to the desert regions of the Southwest and northern Mexico, is a rich source of rubber as well as ethanol, non-toxic adhesives and other materials. Bridgestone Operations Manager Dave Dierig, an expert on the plant and its potential, has spent a career studying guayule, and he focused his doctoral studies on the plant and the materials it can produce. “Lots of plants produce rubber,” Dierig said. “Even sunflowers and lettuce have rubber in them, but it’s not a high-quality rubber. Guayule produces a high-quality rubber that has many uses.” Since 2015, Bridgestone has been producing tires made from guayule-derived natural rubber. “The plant can also be used to make an adhesive and a natural termite pesticide,” Dierig said. “What’s left of the plant after extracting the rubber can be used for biofuel.”
Arkansas
Little Rock: A federal judge reinstated an attorney’s contract with the state Friday after the state canceled it when he criticized a lawmaker’s support for banning gender-confirming treatments for transgender youths. Chief U.S. District Judge D.P. Marshall Jr. issued the preliminary injunction in Little Rock that restored Casey Copeland’s contract with the state’s Administrative Office of the Courts. Marshall issued the order verbally after hearing arguments between the state and the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, which is litigating the case. Copeland emailed his criticism to Republican state Rep. Charlene Fite, who sponsored the ban enacted earlier this year. A federal judge blocked enforcement of the ban before it took effect July 28 after the ACLU challenged it in court. However, the state canceled Copeland’s contract after Fite forwarded Copeland’s message to Administrative Office of the Courts Director Marty Sullivan. In a statement, Copeland said he was relieved at his reinstatement “so I can get back to work protecting the rights, well-being, and opportunities of Arkansas foster children.” Said Holly Dickson, executive director of the ACLU of Arkansas: “State legislators may not like hearing from constituents who are unhappy with their actions, but they can’t use the power of the state to retaliate.”
California
South Lake Tahoe: A 14-year-old boy has become the youngest person to swim the entire 21.3-mile length of Lake Tahoe and complete the alpine lake’s coveted Triple Crown. James Savage, of Los Banos, California, completed the trip in 12 hours Aug. 1 when he swam from Camp Richardson in South Lake Tahoe, California, to the Hyatt Regency in Incline Village, Nevada. He earlier completed the other two legs of the Lake Tahoe Triple Crown, all 10 miles or longer. Savage and his mother, Jillian, told the Tahoe Daily Tribune the physical training for the swim was a lot easier than the mental endurance it takes to complete such a long-distance swim. His mother said her only concern was that her son would get bored and decide he wanted to quit. But after the first mile, she was convinced he would get the job done. Last August, at age 13, Savage became the youngest to complete the 12-mile “true width swim.” It’s also known as the “Godfather” swim because it starts at the site of a mansion in Homewood, California, that was used in the movie “The Godfather: Part II.” He also swam the 10-mile Vikingsholm route that traverses the southern portion of the mountain lake.
Colorado
Denver: The city’s top public safety leader said he is prepared to discipline police officers, sheriff’s deputies and firefighters who don’t follow the mandate that all city employees get vaccinated against COVID-19, The Denver Post reports. A public health order issued by the city health department last week requires all city employees to receive their second vaccine dose by Sept. 15 and provide proof of vaccination. “I am prepared to do what is necessary to hold people in compliance and hold people accountable,” Murphy Robinson, executive director of the city’s Department of Public Safety, told The Denver Post. “That’s my job.” The Denver police officers’ union said in a statement Thursday that it “respects and trusts our members with their own choices on how to maintain their health, the health of their families and the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Denver.” It’s unclear how many of the Denver’s police officers or emergency responders have been vaccinated, as the city does not keep track. However, the Denver Police Protective Association – which represents a majority of the department’s 1,494 officers – conducted its own poll that showed a total of 778 union members responded, and 43% said they had received vaccines. The union issued a statement Thursday night disputing the validity of its own poll.
Connecticut
Hartford: The state’s cemeteries continue to suffer from neglect and lack of rule enforcement, according to advocates, families and officials. “Many of Connecticut’s oldest and most historic cemeteries are suffering from severe neglect and are in critical, sometimes desperate, need of care and restoration,” state Historian Walter W. Woodward told the Hartford Courant. A fund for neglected cemeteries was created in 2014 by the Legislature and has been paying towns between $2,000 and $3,300 each year to mow grass and repair gravestones and other features like fencing. The money for the fund comes from death certificate fees and has been fully spent each year, Office of Policy and Management spokesperson Chris McClure told the newspaper. A former board member of the Connecticut Cemetery Association and current volunteer trustee for two cemeteries in Brookfield, Jeff Nolan, wants a state commission to oversee cemeteries and to regionalize and professionalize their management. He suggested using geographic information system mapping to attach the precise location of graves to a person’s vital records. He also said record-keeping for money paid by families of the dead to go toward maintenance is shoddy at many of the cemetery associations that run the state’s 5,000 graveyards.
Delaware
Newark: The University of Delaware is now requiring masks in all indoor facilities, regardless of vaccination status, the school announced Friday afternoon. UD cited rising COVID-19 cases nationwide and the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the impetus for the policy. Delaware State University is also requiring masks in indoor settings. Masks will be required in “common spaces, with limited exceptions, inside all campus buildings, including classrooms, hallways, laboratories, residence halls, and offices,” UD said in an announcement. “In dining areas, masks should be worn except when eating or drinking. Masks are not required inside an individual student’s residence hall room or floor community.” UD and Delaware State University had previously announced that all students would be required to get vaccinated to return to campus. Those who haven’t been – a small number that includes those with religious or medical exemptions – are required at UD to be tested for the coronavirus weekly starting Aug. 15. Delaware State University is requiring vaccinated students on campus to be tested once per week and unvaccinated students twice. Wilmington University also announced an indoor mask requirement last week.
District of Columbia
Washington: Summer Restaurant Week has kicked off despite concerns about the spread of the coronavirus’ delta variant, WUSA-TV reports. The weeklong event started Monday and lasts through Sunday. However, restaurants like Taqueria del Barrio in Petworth are feeling the effects of the indoor mask mandate, for which bars and restaurants can be fined if they don’t enforce it. Owner Anna Bran said she lost about 20% of reservations almost overnight. “People are scared to come back out and dine indoors,” she said. Bran said the mask mandate, which came as the restaurant was experiencing nearly pre-pandemic customer volume, has forced her to pause plans for reopening her bar next door. Bran is a cancer patient who said she understands and appreciates the need for implementing mask rules but admitted to being in a tricky position with a business running at a deficit. The event has been a normally lucrative time for participating restaurants, but the pandemic has dwindled turnout for some businesses. Local tourism officials said it is important for people to know D.C. is still very much open. “We’ve come so far, and to be honest, the posture of D.C. doesn’t change: We are open, we are open for everyone that’s coming in,” said Theresa Belpulsi, VP of tourism for Destination DC.
Florida
Fort Lauderdale: LIV, one of South Beach’s most glamorous nightclubs, is offering free COVID-19 shots outside the venue where high rollers spend up to $20,000 just for a table. The star-studded nightspot, where Super Bowl champs celebrate at parties so legendary they’ve inspired lyrics from Drake and Kanye West, set up pop-up vaccine sites over the weekend at LIV and club Story to entice the young demographic that is rapidly filling up Florida hospitals as the delta variant of the coronavirus rapidly spreads across Florida. The Sunshine State set another record high over the weekend. On Saturday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 23,903 new COVID-19 cases for Friday, topping the previous day’s record of 22,783 new cases. LIV and Story were shuttered for roughly a year during the pandemic and reopened in April. “We are excited, we want to stay open, and we know the only way to make that happen is if people get vaccinated, so we want to make it as accessible as possible,” said owner David Grutman, the king of South Beach’s nightlife scene who also owns a restaurant and hotel with Pharrell. He partnered with CDR Health, which has administered more than 2 million vaccines since the outbreak began, to offer free shots outside the clubs over the weekend, with the possibility of extending it for additional weekends.
Georgia
Savannah: Some Savannah-area residents are experiencing delays when they call 911. Chatham County Manager Lee Smith said the emergency call center has about 20 vacancies for operators. A full staff is about 100 operators. “It’s a major problem, but we’re not at a crisis yet,” Smith said. People have said when they call, they sometimes get repeated rings. Former City Council member Julian Miller said he made several calls trying to report a person with medical problems along a city street. “It’s kind of a hopeless feeling when you’re waiting on an ambulance,” Miller said. Miller said the first two calls he made went unanswered for a combined 28 rings. Miller then called a police officer he knew to report the problem. He got a returned call from an automated system, and then the phone rang another 12 times. The county has stepped up recruitment and seen some more applicants. New hires are trained for at least nine months. Trainee pay starts at $13.52 an hour. Pay goes up as training is completed. “Sometimes with private industry, we’re not able to compete at the same level. So it is very tough for local governments,” Smith said. The remaining operators are working 12-hour shifts, but Smith said that’s too long for a stressful job. Managers are seeking ways to shorten shifts and reduce nonemergency calls.
Hawaii
Honolulu: Gov. David Ige on Friday selected a Native Hawaiian prosecutor and former high school teacher for an appeals court judge vacancy after he initially appointed a white man who faced criticism over equitable racial and gender representation on the state’s highest courts. The appointment of Sonja McCullen, a deputy Honolulu prosecuting attorney and former Waianae High School teacher, is subject to state Senate confirmation. McCullen was among six nominees for the Intermediate Court of Appeals on a list submitted to Ige by the state Judicial Selection Commission. Ige initially selected Daniel Gluck, the executive director of the Hawaii Ethics Commission, prompting the House Native Hawaiian Caucus to send Ige a letter saying there are “no native Hawaiian, Filipino, Pacific Islander, or African American judges at the Supreme Court or the ICA.” Some critics said it’s been 30 years since a Native Hawaiian was appointed to the Intermediate Court of Appeals and 20 years since a Native Hawaiian was appointed to the state Supreme Court. McCullen has been a deputy prosecuting attorney for 11 years, most recently in the appellate division, Ige said in a news release announcing her appointment. She previously taught social studies, Hawaiian studies and Hawaiian language, according to the governor’s office.
Idaho
Nampa: The Sun Valley region, a popular ski destination that had one of the highest per capita rates of coronavirus cases in the country at the start of the pandemic last year, is now leading the state – and most of the country – in vaccinating its citizens. Numbers from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare show that more than 87% of Blaine County residents ages 12 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the Idaho Press reports. Eighty percent of the county’s residents are fully vaccinated, which puts the county in the top 10 among more than 3,000 counties nationwide, according to healthdata.gov. That’s far higher than Idaho’s statewide average of about 50%. The nationwide average reached 70% last week. “Blaine County has shown a remarkable willingness to work together as a community,” said Brianna Bodily, public information officer for South Central Public Health District, the health authority for Blaine and seven other counties, including Twin Falls. “They understand that this disease impacts all of them, so they make efforts together to unite against COVID-19. Vaccination is just one of many things that they have done.” Blaine County is home to resort towns Ketchum, Bellevue, Hailey and Sun Valley. Out-of-state travelers brought the virus to the ski destination in early 2020.
Illinois
Chicago: After essentially disappearing from the state, the osprey is making a comeback thanks to a decadeslong effort to eliminate harmful pesticides and provide safe places for the large, slender hawks to nest. The raptors remain a threatened species in Illinois. But 14 nesting pairs settled this season in platforms placed on top of tall poles throughout the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Tribune reports. The district placed the platforms in areas to resemble the birds’ preferred treetop nesting habitat and now has 20 sites around the county. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has a similar effort across the state. Three of Cook County’s 14 nests were lost when tornadoes hit parts of the Chicago area earlier this summer. But generally, there has been a slow and steady increase in occupied platforms and nesting pairs in recent decades. Experts say it’s due largely to the removal to environmental toxins like DDT, a pesticide banned in 1972 that thinned the shells of the raptors’ eggs, making it nearly impossible for offspring to survive. “It can take a bird that’s basically everywhere and does really great under most circumstances and take it to the brink,” said Doug Stotz, senior conservation ecologist at the Field Museum. “And it also shows that we can change that.”
Indiana
Indianapolis: The state will fund a $1.3 million distribution of the opioid reversal agent naloxone to ensure the medication reaches Hoosiers who are at risk of drug overdoses, officials announced. Overdose Lifeline Inc., an Indiana nonprofit that helps those affected by substance use disorder, will distribute 35,000 doses of naloxone to first responders, families, friends and others who are likely to be the first on the scene if someone overdoses. Funds were made available by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration state opioid response grant. This is the state’s third investment in naloxone distribution since May 2020, when Holcomb announced the state would earmark $1 million for 25,000 doses of the medication amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “Each dose of naloxone represents another life that could be saved and another opportunity to engage individuals with substance use disorder in treatment,” Gov. Eric Holcomb said in a statement Thursday. “The effects of COVID-19 continue to linger, and now more than ever we must make treatments like naloxone readily available to any Hoosier who may encounter an individual experiencing an overdose.” Indiana reported a 33% increase in fatal overdoses in 2020, according to provisional data released in July by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Iowa
Dyersville: Ahead of Thursday’s Major League Baseball game at the “Field of Dreams” movie site, fans have flocked to the town in record numbers. The New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox, two historic franchises featured in the film, will play in the first official MLB game in Iowa history on a specially built field right next to the diamond featured in the movie. James Earl Jones’ character sketches a vision for farmer Ray Kinsella, played by Kevin Costner, of a mystical baseball field built out of Iowa cornfields that will lure people who are seeking to reconnect with childhood memories of baseball and are yearning for simpler times. “People will come, Ray,” Jones says. And they have, baseball fans and movie buffs alike. The game had an immediate impact on Dyersville the moment it was announced back in 2019. The phone at the Super 8 by Wyndham rang nonstop. The Plaza Antique Mall has seen business pick way up. Karla Thompson, executive director of the Dyersville Area Chamber of Commerce, said other businesses, including boutiques and home decor stores, have benefited, too, as national media outlets have done stories on the town. “We were up to 120% just on the website views and hits,” Thompson said. “That was back in June.”
Kansas
Goddard: An outbreak of illness at a splash park near Wichita was not caused by animals at its interactive zoo, health officials said. The Wichita Eagle reports that email exchanges it obtained through an open records request indicate none of the water samples health officials took from the splash park at Tanganyika Wildlife Park had animal-linked contamination. The newspaper reviewed more than a month of email correspondence between state and county health officials and park director Matt Fouts with details about the results of water samples taken June 19 and sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Christine Steward, deputy health director with the Sedgwick County Health Department, sent Fouts an email July 8 saying the organisms isolated from water samples “help us rule out the animals at the park.” Health officials have said eight people who visited the park June 11 contracted Shigella, a type of bacteria that spreads from person to person through exposure to contaminated feces. People who visited the splash park also have tested positive for the norovirus, sapovirus and a type of E. coli called enteropathogenic E. coli. The splash park was allowed to reopen July 27 after it made necessary changes and passed inspection.
Kentucky
Fancy Farm: Two Republicans expected to compete to lead their party’s ticket in 2023 took turns Saturday accusing the Democratic governor of infringing on individual liberties with his pandemic-related restrictions, pressing GOP themes on the stage of the state’s premiere political event. Speaking at the Fancy Farm picnic – attended only by Republican elected officials and candidates this year – Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles and state Auditor Mike Harmon accused Gov. Andy Beshear of overreaching with his now-lifted restrictions on businesses and gatherings to try to contain COVID-19. The attacks against Beshear’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak, a crisis that has spanned most of his term, came as Kentucky faces its worst outbreak in months, fueled by the highly contagious delta variant. Republican speakers didn’t talk about the resurgence, instead repudiating Beshear’s executive actions. The governor has said his decisions saved lives. With virus cases soaring to the highest levels in months, Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman skipped the picnic. Western Kentucky’s Graves County, where the picnic is held, is in the red zone for COVID-19 cases, signaling a severe level of community spread. Beshear didn’t respond directly Saturday but said in a statement that the focus should be on getting more Kentuckians vaccinated.
Louisiana
Baton Rouge: City officials are eyeing a closed golf course as a floodwater detention area, but the owner says he doesn’t want to sell. The city-parish announced Friday that the Louisiana Watershed Initiative had awarded it $6 million to buy 65 acres of the former Sherwood Forest Golf Course. Paired with $3.27 million in local funding, the city-parish said it would buy the land, dig out parts to hold water from Jones Creek when it floods, and possibly use the land as a park. The city-parish has been buying vacant land to use for stormwater detention after flooding in 2016 that caused widespread damage in southeast Louisiana. “This project is another example of the aggressive approach my administration is taking to address drainage throughout the parish,” Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome said in a statement. But Randy Dornier, whose family controls a company that owns the land, told WAFB-TV he doesn’t want to sell. “If I really thought this was the solution to the 2016-type flooding, I’d have to bow out and say it’s for the good of the community, but I know it’s not,” Dornier said. Instead, he said he wants to restore the golf course. In 2019, a developer proposed building a 276-home subdivision on the course, a move opposed by residents of the older neighborhood surrounding the property.
Maine
Portland: A brick smokestack that pumped out molasses-scented steam for decades is coming down. Visible from Interstate 295, the nearly 150-foot smokestack has long been a symbol of the B&M baked beans factory, but it hasn’t been used for more than 20 years. The Portland Press Herald reports crews began removing it Friday, and the rest is expected to come down by the end of the month. Burnham & Morrill Co. opened in Portland in 1867 as a food cannery to package meat, vegetables and fish. It began making baked beans in the 1920s and is now owned by B&G Foods, which includes Green Giant and Crisco among its brands. The trademark smell of molasses from the cooking beans now emerges from an exhaust stack on the other side of the factory.
Maryland
Annapolis: Comptroller Peter Franchot outlined a plan Monday to increase equity and inclusion for Black residents as part of his campaign for governor, including a pledge to name a Black woman as his running mate. Franchot, a Democrat, announced he would create a Cabinet-level office called the Secretary of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to review state policies. The secretary would release a report on promoting diversity in government, addressing existing biases in government policies and promoting economic opportunity. If recreational marijuana is legalized in a ballot initiative, the comptroller said he would focus on ensuring it would help economic growth in areas of the state disproportionately affected by enforcement for cannabis-related offenses and addresses past criminal justice inequities. Franchot also noted plans to explore creating a state-owned bank to ensure access to credit for Maryland small businesses, particularly those owned by women and members of minority groups. Another part of the proposal would seek to provide state-backed mortgage loans to people in communities of color with a goal of creating parity in new homeownership rates by the end of his first term. Franchot is running in a crowded Democratic primary for next year’s election.
Massachusetts
Worcester: A hospital crippled by a nurses’ strike that’s now entering its sixth month says it has hired more than 100 replacement nurses after talks aimed at ending the standoff stalled. St. Vincent Hospital said in a statement Sunday that it planned to post more jobs in the coming days. “Saint Vincent must take responsible action and hire as many nurses as possible to maintain access to ensure core services, as COVID numbers increase and the cooler weather approaches,” it said. Hospital officials accused the Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents the 700 striking nurses, of “minimal interest or intention to end the strike.” The nurses, who have been on strike since March 8, are seeking staffing increases at the Worcester hospital owned by Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare. Union spokesperson David Schildmeier questioned whether the hospital has really hired replacement workers. In an email to The Boston Globe, he said: “Tenet has spent in excess of $100 million to force and prolong this strike to avoid accountability for providing the level of care patients of Worcester expect and deserve.” Management at St. Vincent’s Hospital on Thursday presented what they called their “last, best and final” offer. The union promptly criticized it as an “unsatisfactory ultimatum.”
Michigan
Lansing: Childhood vaccination rates have dropped below 70% in more than half of the state’s counties, and health and school officials are advising parents to catch their kids up on immunizations before school starts in the coming weeks. Michigan’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joneigh Khaldun and other health and school officials spoke Monday about the need to catch students up on regular immunizations, as well as COVID-19 vaccinations for those who are 12 and older. Seven counties and the city of Detroit have childhood immunization rates that have dropped below 60% during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from the Michigan Care Improvement Registry. When an area has lower vaccination rates, it creates an environment where diseases can spread, Khaldun said. “All it takes is one infected individual. So as families, students, teachers and administrators, prepare for this upcoming school year, I urge every parent, to make sure their child is up to date on all of their vaccinations,” Khaldun said. East Lansing School Board President Terah Chambers said that on top of requiring face masks indoors, parents must make sure their kids get all their vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine if eligible, in order to move forward with the goal of in-person instruction every day of the school year.
Minnesota
Minneapolis: More than a year after George Floyd’s death sparked a failed push to abolish the Minneapolis Police Department, activists and several City Council members are trying again, with a well-funded initiative that would ask voters in November whether the department – disparaged by critics for what they say is an enduring culture of brutality – should be dismantled. In its place would be a public safety department that employs a “comprehensive public health approach” and licensed peace officers “if necessary.” The new department would no longer be under the sole command of the mayor’s office, which is significant given that incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey opposes abolishing the police department, while a majority of City Council members supports the idea. More than 30 local groups are pushing for change under the “Yes 4 Minneapolis” banner. They gathered 20,000 signatures to get the measure on the ballot – almost twice the number necessary – and have raised about $1 million, including $500,000 from Open Society Policy Center, which has ties to billionaire George Soros. “What we knew as public safety – which is only the police right now, the only option that we have – was unacceptable,” said Brian Fullman, lead organizer with one of the groups, Barbershop and Black Congregation Cooperative.
Mississippi
Jackson: The state’s top public health official said Monday that as coronavirus cases continue to surge with the highly contagious delta variant, no intensive care beds were available in 35 of Mississippi’s top-level hospitals. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs also said more than 200 people were waiting in hospital emergency rooms to be admitted, and the problem will grow worse in coming days. The wait times affect not only people with COVID-19 but also those with other health conditions. The state Health Department said Monday that more than 6,900 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed from Friday through Sunday. “Keep in mind – this will translate into around 500 new hospitalizations in coming days,” Dobbs wrote on Twitter. He said the intensive care units were full in Level 1, 2 and 3 hospitals in the state’s acute care systems. Those include the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, Memorial Hospital in Gulfport, and Singing River Health System in Pascagoula. Mississippi has one of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the nation. As of Friday, the state Health Department said 35% of residents were fully vaccinated, compared to 50% nationally.
Missouri
St. Louis: The head of St. Louis County’s government on Monday urged its council to adopt a mask mandate amid a spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The request from St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, a Democrat, comes after a judge last week issued an order that, at least temporarily, halted a mask requirement for indoor public places that Page had announced last month. Republican Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt then sued to stop it after the County Council voted to overturn it. A hearing on a preliminary injunction is scheduled for Aug. 17. Page said during a news conference that Missouri’s largest county, with about 1 million residents, is now averaging 311 new COVID-19 cases each day – six times the number from two months ago. Data from St. Louis regional hospitals shows 493 patients are hospitalized with the virus, compared with 93 hospitalizations in June. The County Council meets Tuesday, and Page urged passage of a mask requirement, a move that would make the court case moot. Schmitt’s lawsuit argued that Missouri law gives the council the authority to terminate the requirement. Page said the council’s vote in July “has brought confusion, anxiety and anger.” Noting that children under 12 can’t get COVID-19 shots, he also lamented that “we are seeing younger people in our ICUs.”
Montana
Helena: Hunting this fall could be largely shaped by the widespread drought hitting the state this summer, from potential access closures to impacts on wildlife fitness and location. While some early hunts start in August, Montana’s hunting season really begins in earnest Sept. 4 with the start of the six-week archery season. On Oct. 23 general season kicks off for five weeks, ending the Sunday after Thanksgiving. And, new for this year, traditional muzzleloader hunters will have their own nine-day season to chase elk and deer in December. Most big game herds fared pretty well following a mild winter by Montana standards. Cold snaps remained relatively short-lived with little lower-elevation snow. And hunter success hovered around average levels in most parts of the state. Persistent drought this summer affected green-up, with many areas of Montana reporting stifled grass growth. That can mean less nutrition for elk, deer and other wildlife, the Montana State News Bureau reports.
Nebraska
Omaha: A group of doctors who are also moms is urging schools to consider requiring masks this fall as the number of coronavirus cases surges across the state. The group has about 700 members statewide who work in a variety of different medical specialties, said Dr. Christine Mitchell, an Omaha-area internal medicine specialist who is involved in the effort. “This virus changes. The pandemic changes. And we have to change our policies with it,” she said. “Now it’s time that we make the restrictions again, put the masks on and see if we can keep school going all year, just like we did last year.” Nebraska virus cases have been increasing for six straight weeks as the highly contagious delta variant continues to spread. Over the past two weeks, the seven-day rolling average of daily new cases has more than doubled, going from 139.71 cases per day July 24 to 374.14 per day Saturday. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has said he believes schools should not require masks or COVID-19 vaccinations this school year despite recent recommendations from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics that say all students and staff should wear masks in school, even if they are inoculated.
Nevada
Las Vegas: Metro officials on Saturday announced plans for transit improvements, including new and restored services, following cutbacks during the pandemic. Henderson Mayor Debra March, chairwoman of the Regional Transportation Commission, said officials were “thrilled to celebrate the services that we’re bringing back and adding to our community thanks to federal stimulus funding.” The enhancements announced Saturday and taking effect Sunday include faster and more regular service for busy stops along Charleston Boulevard and weekend services in underserved areas. There also will be a pilot microtransit service in parts of the Las Vegas metro area.
New Hampshire
Concord: An off-the-grid hermit known to locals as “River Dave,” whose cabin burned down on the wooded property where he was squatting for 27 years, says he’s grateful and overwhelmed by fundraising efforts and offers for a place to live. “I feel about as good as I ever have in my life,” David Lidstone, 81, said Sunday, saying he has many friends. “I live down there in the woods because I like being alone, being away from people, so this publicity is not anything that I’m used to at all.” Lidstone lived in the woods along the Merrimack River in the town of Canterbury. He was jailed July 15 on a civil contempt sanction and told he’d be released if he agreed to leave the cabin. The property owner, 86-year-old Leonard Giles, wanted Lidstone off the land. A fire destroyed the cabin Wednesday, hours after Lidstone defended himself during a court hearing. He was released from jail Thursday after a judge ruled that he would have less incentive to return to “this particular place in the woods” since the cabin had burned down. The state fire marshal’s office is investigating the fire. Lidstone had said a prior owner gave his word years ago that he could live there, but he had nothing in writing.
New Jersey
Trenton: An amendment to Megan’s Law that tightens the rules on who can seek to be removed from a sex offender registry can’t be applied retroactively to crimes committed before the amendment was passed, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday. The case involved a man, identified by the initials J.D.-F., who was working as a manager at a McDonald’s in Hillsborough in 2001 when he was accused of improperly touching two teenage boys who worked there. He was convicted in December 2002 of criminal sexual contact and child endangerment and sentenced to time in the county jail and probation. Under Megan’s Law, he was required to publicly register with law enforcement as a sex offender. The law allows offenders to apply to be removed from the list if they are offense-free for 15 years and no longer considered a safety threat to others. Earlier in 2002, between when J.D.-F’s crimes were committed and his conviction, the Legislature had amended Megan’s Law to prohibit those convicted of certain offenses or of more than one offense from applying to end their registration requirements. After J.D.-F applied for removal from the registry in 2019, a trial court and, subsequently, an appeals court had denied his request on the grounds that the amendment was passed before he was convicted.
New Mexico
Santa Fe: The governor and dozens of other elected officials are urging the state’s business community to require that employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 or alternatively undergo regular testing. Those steps are necessary to stop the increased spread of the coronavirus as infections increase, according to the letter released Friday and sent to employers and business groups. The 28 signers include Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham., U.S. Sens. Ben Ray Lujan and Martin Heinrich, and U.S. Reps. Teresa Leger Fernandez and Melanie Stansbury but not U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell, the congressional delegation’s sole Republican member. “Requiring vaccination of your workforce – and/or requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test of the patrons who visit and support your business – is within your right as an employer,” the letter said. “Implementing that sort of policy to help New Mexico finally end this pandemic is within your power as a community leader.” New Mexico state employees are required to be vaccinated or get tested regularly. The elected officials’ letter cited increased cases and hospitalizations. “In short, the pandemic is not over,” the letter said.
New York
New York: Dave Chappelle, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon and Amy Schumer are part of a star-studded group of comedians that will perform for one night only at Madison Square Garden to mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11. All proceeds from “NYC Still Rising After 20 Years: A Comedy Celebration” will benefit 9/11 charities. Proof of vaccination against COVID-19 is required. “We wanted to put on a fun celebration to honor this great city’s resilience. It’s nice to be able to do this with friends and people we love,” Stewart said in a statement. The show is his brainchild with “Saturday Night Live” star Pete Davidson, who will also perform. A ticket presale for the Sept. 12 show begins at noon Wednesday on Live Nation, Ticketmaster.com and Madison Square Garden’s website and runs until 10 p.m. Thursday, with general tickets on sale starting at noon Friday at Ticketmaster.com. Bill Burr, Colin Jost, Colin Quinn, Dave Attell, Jay Pharoah, John Mulaney, Michael Che, Ronny Chieng, Tom Segura and Wanda Sykes are also in the lineup.
North Carolina
Raleigh: One of the state’s most vaccinated areas is again compelling people to wear masks at indoor public spaces. Durham’s city and countywide emergency order, which took effect at 5 p.m. Monday, is the latest effort to combat the rapid spread of the more contagious delta variant of the coronavirus. In a Monday morning news conference, Durham Mayor Steve Schewel said it’s time to go “back to the basics” in order to combat what he now views as a “pandemic of the unvaccinated.” “Face masks are a common-sense, non-economically damaging way of limiting transmission,” Schewel said. In all but two of North Carolina’s 100 counties, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends universal mask-wearing for both vaccinated and unvaccinated Americans. But at a time when nearly all available COVID-19 metrics showed spread of the virus at its worst levels in months, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper decided to let his statewide mask mandate expire July 30 and allow local school boards to set their own masking policies. Spread of the virus has only continued to surge since then, prompting some experts to fear an uptick in transmission within the dozens of school districts that have made masking optional for all K-12 students.
North Dakota
Bismarck: Wildlife managers say predictions of a poor duck breeding season in the state due to drought have proven true, and hunters should expect challenging conditions this fall. The number of duck broods, or families, observed during the state Game and Fish Department’s annual mid-July survey was the lowest in nearly three decades. This year’s fall duck flight is expected to be down 36% from last year, according to Mike Szymanski, the agency’s migratory game bird management supervisor. “Hunters should take advantage of early migrants like blue-winged teal during the first two weeks of the season,” Szymanski said. “We won’t be able to depend on local duck production to the extent that we have in the past.” The news was not unexpected, the Bismarck Tribune reports. More than half of North Dakota is in extreme or exceptional drought, the two worst categories, while all of the state is in some form of drought. In past dry years, some areas still remained wet, but “there’s nothing like that this year,” Szymanski said. “It’s all dry.” The National Weather Service expects that drought will persist into the fall. Some areas of North Dakota have seen improvements, but rainfall continues to be hit-and-miss. The regular duck season opens Sept. 25 for resident hunters and Oct. 2 for nonresidents.
Ohio
Columbus: A man will face a charge of causing a panic after his actions prompted a panicked rush out of a mall movie theater over the weekend, authorities said. Columbus police said Sunday that, contrary to earlier reports, no shots were fired, and in fact no weapon of any kind was involved. Sgt. James Fuqua said a man walked into the Easton Town Center movie theater just before 9 p.m. Saturday – just before the end of a showing of “Suicide Squad” – and began screaming “that he was the king,” accompanied by “many obscenities.” Fuqua said the man then ran to top of theater and, still screaming obscenities, started to reach into his bag – and that sent everyone else racing for the exits, even jumping over railings to reach them, in fear that he had a weapon of some kind. Fuqua said officers working special duty at the mall rushed inside and restrained the man without incident. The man, who refused to give his name but has since been identified, will face a charge of “inducing panic,” police said. Fuqua said the incorrect reports of shots fired stemmed from shouts of young people rushing out of the theater. Some people sustained minor injuries in the flight from the theater, he said. “We don’t want the citizens of the city to feel that it is unsafe to go to any shopping mall here,” he said.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City: The state’s already burgeoning movie and television industry – with buzzy projects like new Hulu series “Reservation Dogs” and upcoming fact-based Martin Scorsese epic film “Killers of the Flower Moon” – is about to get a big boost. To go along with the ceremonial signing of Senate Bill 608, which created the Filmed in Oklahoma Act of 2021, Gov. Kevin Stitt issued a proclamation Aug. 3 declaring it “Film Day” in the Sooner State. But Oklahoma will really get into its next phase of cinematic action Tuesday, when film and television projects can begin applying for production tax incentives through the new $30 million program designed to create a more robust entertainment industry for the state. The application portal will available on the Oklahoma Film + Music Office website at okfilmmusic.org. Passed by the Legislature and signed by Stitt in May, the act increases the state’s total film incentive cap and eligibility threshold to host major motion pictures and television series. It creates a new rebate program of $30 million per fiscal year for 10 years, a significant boost that proponents of Oklahoma’s film and television industry say will bring in more productions, which means more jobs and economic activity for the state.
Oregon
Portland: Authorities say a man was fatally shot on a TriMet bus Sunday evening. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Sunday’s shooting marks the 56th homicide in Portland this year, making 2021 the city’s deadliest year since 1994, when 55 people were killed during the entire year. Officers responded to the area in southeast Portland just before 5:30 p.m. and found a man who had been shot. The victim was taken to a hospital, where he died from his wounds, police said. TriMet spokesperson Tia York said the agency is providing the police bureau with security footage from Sunday’s incident.
Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh: A man has pleaded guilty to leaving a backpack containing homemade explosive devices in a bush outside a complex in the downtown area during last year’s protests over the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. Matthew Michanowicz, 53, pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to possession of an unregistered destructive device. Authorities said he was seen on surveillance video placing the military-style backpack near a bike rack under some trees at PNC Plaza on May 31, 2020. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Smolar said it contained three improvised explosive devices filled with gasoline, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Authorities said Michanowicz originally told them he had gone to the area to see the property damage that occurred during the protests but initially denied any knowledge of the backpack. Sentencing for Michanowicz, who was originally charged with arson and possessing weapons of mass destruction, is scheduled for Dec. 13.
Rhode Island
Providence: Communities and organizations across the state are eligible to apply for a portion of $3 million in matching grants to protect valuable green space, according to the state Department of Environmental Management. Funding provided through the 2016 Green Economy Bond and the 2018 Green Economy and Clean Water Bond – which Rhode Island voters approved by a margin of almost 80% last November – is capitalizing the grants. Awards up to $400,000, which may cover up to half of the project cost, will help preserve lands that offer significant natural, ecological or agricultural value by direct purchase or conservation easement. In addition to the grants, funding is available to cover some costs associated with appraisal, title and survey services. The application deadline is Oct. 29.
South Carolina
Walterboro: A prosecutor is using a federal grant to expand a program that can let nonviolent criminals who are veterans or addicted to drugs avoid prison. The 14th Judicial Circuit’s Multidisciplinary Court program is expanding from Beaufort County into Colleton and Jasper counties, Solicitor Duffie Stone said in a statement. The program allows veterans whose problems in military service like post-traumatic stress disorder or people with drug problems to seek help. They have to plead guilty, but their sentences aren’t carried out unless they don’t complete the program, Stone said. The people sent to Multidisciplinary Court after pleading guilty have to get drug addiction or mental health treatment, have random drug tests and home visits, pay restitution for their crimes, and perform community service. They also appear before one of the court’s judges regularly to report how they are doing and answer questions. The expansion is being paid for through a $740,000 federal grant. In applying for the money, prosecutors said drugs are the root of about half of the 5,000 cases they deal with every year in the five-county circuit, when related crimes like burglaries are included. The program is much less expensive than prison, and it gives people convicted of minor crimes a second chance, Stone said.
South Dakota
Yankton: Police say the upward trend of domestic incident calls reported in the middle of COVID-19 lockdowns last year is continuing to manifest itself in 2021. Police Chief Jason Foote said Yankton police answered a total of 292 domestics in 2020, up more than 50 from the year before and something he believes “could be due to issues associated with COVID.” Midway through this year, the city has fielded 180 such calls, the Yankton Press and Dakotan reports. Nationwide, domestic violence reports rose sharply when the pandemic arrived. “I can’t say that there a specific factor to the increase, but I believe COVID has caused tension during this time, but this is not the only factor,” Foote said. “Making the public aware of domestic violence and that it should not be tolerated could be a factor in the increased calls for service getting law enforcement to intervene before things turn to physical assault.” In that respect, the number of cases being referred to the state’s attorney office is trending downward, Foote said. He said the police department continues to work with its community partners such as the River City Domestic Violence Center to help tackle the problem, and the public can also play its part in addressing what is an ongoing issue.
Tennessee
Memphis: Southwest Tennessee Community College has forgiven $1.8 million in school debt for 1,600 of its recent students, the college announced Monday. The community college cleared the balances for eligible students enrolled during the spring, summer and fall semesters of 2020, using federal emergency relief funding. “Our students were hit particularly hard by the pandemic and many of them had to leave college abruptly,” Dr. Tracy D. Hall, president of the college, said in a statement. “Wiping the slate clean clears a path for them to come back and move forward with their goals and career aspirations.” Forgiving the debt is a step toward giving students financially affected by the pandemic “a fresh start” for their college education. Students do not have to repay the funds, the college reiterated. “Earning a college credential is transformative for our students and removing this financial barrier to their success is the best use of COVID-19 relief funds,” Hall said. “We are truly grateful and elated to be able to help our students in such a meaningful way.” Last fall, the college experienced an enrollment dip of 24%, the greatest drop of any community college in the state. The fall semester begins Aug. 23. Masks are required indoors for students, faculty, staff and visitors.
Texas
Austin: A Travis County state district judge has signed a temporary restraining order blocking the arrest of any quorum-busting Texas House member, paving the way for those who remain out of the state to return home without that threat. State District Judge Brad Urrutia signed a three-page order late Sunday that was filed Monday in Travis County District Court. It came at the request of 19 House Democrats who said in a 24-page lawsuit that their arrests would rely on a misinterpretation of the state Constitution and House rules and give the “government power to arrest its political opponents.” The application for the restraining order includes affidavits from Reps. Gina Hinojosa of Austin, Trey Martinez Fischer of San Antonio and Jasmine Crockett of Dallas. In his order, Urrutia blocked Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, from “detaining, confining, or otherwise restricting a Texas House Democrat’s movement without his or her consent.” It also bans those Republicans from “issuing any warrant or other instruments” that would cause the Democrats to be detained or confined. The order also applies to the House sergeant-at-arms, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers, Capitol police and other law enforcement agencies. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for later this month.
Utah
Logan: Three weeks after graffiti laden with Nazi symbols, codes and slogans appeared in a Logan High School parking lot, the local police investigation appears to have stalled. “The case is still open, but at this point, there’s not new information coming in,” Logan City Police Department Capt. Curtis Hooley told the Herald Journal. Investigators could see figures in the parking lot, Hooley said, but no identifying features. Requests for information from residents have so far likewise failed to turn up identifying details. “We put out a Facebook request of citizens if they live down in that area if they have any footage from their doorbell cameras and things, and officers tried to make contact with people down there,” Hooley said, “but we have not come up with anything. We’ve had no information that has come forward to help us to try to identify who those people might have been.” Surveillance footage shows figures in the parking lot just before midnight July 13, Hooley said. Area resident Chris McGinty said he discovered the graffiti the next morning, took a photo, and spread it to news and social media in the hopes of starting productive conversations about the expression of hate and racism.
Vermont
Essex Junction: The state’s busiest Amtrak station could be getting a $3.5 million facelift with the help of a federal appropriation. The Essex Junction station is much as it was when it was built in the 1950s, and it’s showing its age. “It’d be really hard to understand why this station here that receives 20,000 or so individuals over the year isn’t treated with better respect,” said Essex Junction Village President Andrew Brown. MyNBC5 reports the improvements to the Essex Junction station would include upgraded restrooms, more seating and bike racks. David Carle, a spokesman for U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, said the Vermont Democrat has been working for years to find funding to renovate the station. A request for $3 million for the Essex Junction station is pending in Congress.
Virginia
Ettrick: Four buildings at a historically Black university that were named for white men with links to the Jim Crow era or to the Confederacy have been renamed for Black women. Virginia State University announced the new names Friday, five months after the original names were taken down, with replacement names considered by a committee. “It wasn’t hard, and we didn’t have to look far to find women who embody our mission today,” Tonya Hall, VSU’s vice president of external relations, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Vawter Hall, originally named for a Confederate captain, was renamed for Lula Johnson, believed to be the first woman to graduate from a Virginia public college in the 1890s, from what is now VSU. Byrd Hall, a dorm named for former governor and U.S. Sen. Harry F. Byrd Sr., is now Otelia Howard Hall, honoring a school English teacher in the 1920s and ’30s. The former Trinkle Hall is now named for Johnella Jackson, who wrote the music for VSU’s alma mater in the 1920s. Elbert Lee Trinkle was governor in the 1920s and signed a law that prohibited interracial marriage. And Eggleston Hall, named for Joseph Eggleston, a board of visitors member in the early 20th century, is now named for Lucretia Campbell, the faculty’s first Black female member.
Washington
Olympia: Most state workers, as well as private health care and long-term care employees, will be required to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 by Oct. 18 or lose their jobs, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Monday. Weekly coronavirus testing will not be an option for those who want to avoid vaccination and maintain their employment, and the only way to opt out of the requirement is a medical or religious exemption. The order applies to about 60,000 employees of the 24 state agencies that are part of the governor’s executive Cabinet, which includes the departments of corrections, social and health services and transportation, as well as the Washington State Patrol. A fact sheet issued to employees notes that the order applies to employees who are currently working remotely, since they may need to go to a work site at some point. The governor’s office said the overall number includes those who have already been vaccinated, so it was unclear how many within that group are unvaccinated. Inslee’s announcement appears to be the most stringent among states that have issued vaccination requirements for state or health care workers.
West Virginia
Charleston: The state treasurer’s office will hold two auctions for unclaimed property at the State Fair this month. The auctions will take place at 5 p.m. Aug. 14 and Aug. 21 in Fairlea, the office said in a news release. Among the items up for bid are rare coins, currency, jewelry and other collectibles. They will be on display throughout the fair at the treasurer’s office booth located in the West Virginia Building at the fairgrounds. Banks and law enforcement officials turn over the items to the office’s Unclaimed Property Division when lawful owners cannot be located. Proceeds from the auction remain in an individual’s name for claim in the future. “These items are often forgotten about or left abandoned,” state Treasurer Riley Moore said. “These auctions help convert these collectibles into the highest cash value possible for someone to claim in the future. They’re also a treasure trove for collectors.”
Wisconsin
Madison: Gov. Tony Evers announced Monday that he has given hotels $70 million in federal coronavirus relief dollars. The governor’s office said grants of up to $2 million went out Friday to 888 lodging businesses around the state to help offset pandemic-related losses. The money is part of $140 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars designated for Wisconsin’s tourism and entertainment industries, including $11.25 million for movie theaters; $12 million for live-event small businesses; $2.8 million for minor league sports teams; $1 million to help the Wisconsin Historical Society reopen historical sites; and $8 million for summer camps. The lodging industry supported more than 157,000 jobs across Wisconsin and had a $17.3 billion impact on the state economy last year despite the pandemic. So far this year, the industry’s numbers have surpassed 2020 as travelers start taking vacations again, the governor’s office said.
Wyoming
Gillette: For the first time in nearly six years, Powder River Basin coal producers are reporting increased production, lower costs and profitable mines. The 6% increase in production for the first half of 2021 for the basin’s 12 Campbell County mines – going from 101.85 million tons through the first half of 2020 to 107.9 million this year – isn’t enough to be considered a trend, jump or leap. But as the nation’s economy continues to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic that’s lingered for nearly 18 months, it’s a welcome reprieve from the 22.5% decline thermal coal saw last year. With natural gas prices also rising above $4 and the pandemic rebound, it was expected there would be more of a leveling off for a beleaguered thermal coal industry, said Robert Godby, a leading energy economist and interim dean of the University of Wyoming College of Business. “This is exactly what we expected,” he told the Gillette News Record. “As the economy recovers, we knew this was coming. But even (to this level) has kind of surprised us. Originally, we though it might be a one-year jump and then moderate, but now it’s looking like coal could maintain this pump through a good chunk of next year.”
From Paste BN Network and wire reports