AA shrine, haunted houses, tramway: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Montgomery: A 74-year-old imprisoned man has died after contracting COVID-19, the 26th inmate in the state’s prison system to die after contracting the virus. The Alabama Department of Corrections said in a news release that Johnny Dwight Terry, an inmate at Limestone Correctional Facility, died Thursday. The prison system said Terry was transferred to a hospital Tuesday after showing symptoms of the disease. He died two days later. Terry had multiple preexisting medical conditions, according to the prison system. He was serving a life sentence on a murder conviction from Lawrence County, the agency said. The state prison system has reported coronavirus cases in 21 out of 26 facilities. Alabama has documented 441 cases of coronavirus among the state prison population to date, according to the prison system. There have been 415 cases among prison employees, and two employees have died, the prison system reported.

Alaska

Bethel: At least three communities in a western Alaska region are under lockdown after residents tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said. Quinhagak, Kipnuk and Kasigluk in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta have been closed because of COVID-19 infections, KYUK-AM reports. Quinhagak is in the second week of a lockdown that began Sept. 29. The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation announced evidence of community virus spread in Quinhagak on Oct. 3, and more than 33 cases have since been confirmed in the community, the most in the region located outside of Bethel. Kipnuk began a two-week lockdown Oct. 2 after a resident tested positive. The community closed the tribal office, while the school switched to remote learning. The village’s church is closed, and its store only accepts phone orders. On the same day Kipnuk enacted restrictions, Kasigluk began its second lockdown.

Arizona

Kingman: Mohave County remains in a state of emergency because of the coronavirus pandemic after a motion to rescind the declaration failed, according to county officials. Supervisor Hildy Angius’ motion to end the public health emergency declaration, which has been in place since March, was defeated in a 3-2 vote Thursday by the county board of supervisors. The board asked county officials last week to investigate the repercussions of rescinding the declaration, since the county in northwest Arizona has received more than $9 million in federal coronavirus relief funding. All but $1.5 million has been spent or allocated into the county’s contingency fund for future use. The concern was that they would have to return the aid to the government if the declaration was rescinded.

Arkansas

Little Rock: The number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus in the state declined slightly Saturday from Friday’s record high. There were 554 hospitalizations, six fewer than a day earlier, the state Department of Health reported. The department reported an increase of 908 confirmed and probable cases for a total of 92,220 and 22 more deaths for an overall pandemic toll of 1,552 people who have died due to COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. The actual number of cases in Arkansas is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick. There were 7,735 active cases either confirmed or probable, and 82,924 people have recovered, according to department figures.

California

Palm Springs: The popular Palm Springs Aerial Tramway has reopened after a long shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. The first car began its 2 ¹/₂-mile ascent high into the San Jacinto Mountains on Friday morning. The attraction was shut down in mid-March as part of the restrictions intended to slow the spread of the virus. Each of the rotating cars can carry 80 passengers but under the reopening rules capacity will be limited to 12 passengers. Masks are required, and the tram cars’ windows will remain open during the ride. The cars will be cleaned between each trip. Tickets must be purchased online in advance. The tramway opened in 1963, offering spectacular views of the Southern California mountains and desert. It underwent a major modernization about 20 years ago.

Colorado

Colorado Springs: Drug overdose deaths have increased in the state amid the coronavirus pandemic. About 130 people died of overdoses in May across the state, nearly doubling the average from recent years, The Gazette reports. State health department data reported 73 deaths in 2019, 79 in 2018 and 64 in 2017. Mental Health Center of Denver President Dr. Carl Clark said the pattern of overdose deaths is “predictable” and is likely to get worse as the pandemic continues. “There are certain things that we know that happen with a stressful event like a pandemic or 9/11 or if the stock market crashes,” Clark said. “Anxiety goes up, depression goes up, suicides go up, and people’s use of substances goes up.” As the pandemic added stress for those in recovery, outreach programs and medical providers struggled to help with in-person meetings limited to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and state funding cut.

Connecticut

Waterbury: U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes said a test Saturday showed no signs of the coronavirus in her body, nearly three weeks after she was diagnosed with COVID-19. The Democrat, who represents Connecticut’s 5th District, has been documenting her battle against the disease on social media since revealing her positive test results Sept. 20. “Tossed and turned most of the night,” she posted Sept. 21. “Breathing is so labored.” Hayes said a follow-up COVID-19 test Saturday came back negative. She said she also received a flu shot and made an appointment with the American Red Cross to donate plasma. “We can all do our part to keep our community safe,” she tweeted Saturday in a post followed by three mask-wearing emojis and the hashtag “#HealthyATHome.”

Delaware

Newark: The University of Delaware has suspended 19 members of its swimming and diving teams for allegedly violating the city’s gathering limits related to the COVID-19 pandemic. WDEL-FM reports that the athletes were traced to a gathering at an off-campus residence Sept. 26. All involved were quarantined and have tested negative for COVID-19. Newark currently limits gatherings to 12 people indoors and 20 people outdoors, unless a permit has been obtained. The university said 27 students or employees had tested positive last week by the weekend. That’s on pace for the university’s lowest number this semester, after hitting a peak of 80 the week prior.

District of Columbia

Washington: George Washington University will continue to conduct classes virtually this spring, President Thomas J. LeBlanc announced Friday in an email. All undergraduate and most graduate courses will stay online, with limited exceptions for courses that require in-person instruction or research, WUSA-TV reports. LeBlanc cited the continued spread of COVID-19 and uncertainty about the course of the pandemic, feedback from the community, and concerns about the risks of a campus residential experience as the deciding factors in the university’s decision to maintain virtual instruction this spring. The school will continue to provide a 10% tuition reduction available to Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon undergraduate students living off campus, and most financial aid packages will remain the same, according to the email.

Florida

Cocoa: Four Brevard County Jail Complex staff and one inmate have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to a letter Sheriff Wayne Ivey sent to judicial officials Thursday. This brings the total number of inmates to test positive to 62. All have been cleared from medical isolation, the letter states. The total number of jail staff to test positive is now 21, of which three have not been cleared to return to duty, according to the letter, though the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office on Friday afternoon said only two staff were not yet cleared. In an update from Ivey last month, one inmate test was reported as pending, noting that it was a transfer from a state hospital who was in quarantine. The agency and its healthcare provider, Corizon Health, have been tight-lipped about what their testing and tracing protocols are.

Georgia

South Fulton: A south Atlanta police department confirms its chief has been diagnosed with COVID-19. A spokesman for the City of South Fulton Police Department said Chief Keith Meadows and his wife, Tanya, tested positive for the coronavirus and are currently quarantining at home, WXIA-TV reports. In addition, the department said it has notified six other employees who have been in close contact with Meadows about the chief’s condition. “Our ability to provide police services to the city has not been impacted,” the department said, assuring residents that officers will still be able to respond to calls. The department said it is also continuing to sanitize the precincts and “take all of the necessary precautions to reduce transmissions (of the coronavirus) per CDC guidelines.”

Hawaii

Honolulu: Maui County plans to enroll in the state’s pre-travel coronavirus testing program scheduled to start this week, while at least one other county leader continued to resist joining the initiative. Democratic Gov. David Ige gave county mayors the choice to “opt out” of the program but said Wednesday he had not received any official requests to refuse enrollment. The program, which was initially scheduled to begin Aug. 1, allows trans-Pacific arrivals to bypass the state’s 14-day mandatory quarantine for visitors by producing a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of a Hawaii flight. The state is also partnering with several U.S. mainland pharmacies and airlines for testing. Incoming passengers will load their information onto a website and mobile app for tracking by state officials. A majority of the Big Island’s state legislators sent a letter to Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim, expressing concerns about his stated intent to opt out of the program.

Idaho

Boise: Potential tax relief and investments in education and transportation are on the table after tax revenue blew past projections for the third consecutive month, resulting in a projected $530 million budget surplus, Gov. Brad Little said Friday. The Republican governor said September revenue came in $33 million ahead of what had been forecast, bolstered by individual income tax collections of nearly 40% more than last year. Idaho tax revenue overall is 10% more this fiscal year than last year, despite the coronavirus pandemic, which has now killed more than 500 residents. “The once-in-a-century pandemic was not part of our budget forecast for this fiscal year,” Little said. “But despite all the changes since March, I’m happy to tell Idahoans that our state budget and Idaho’s economy are strong, and we are well-positioned to handle the ongoing impacts of the highly contagious and damaging COVID-19 virus in our state.”

Illinois

Carbondale: U.S. Rep. Mike Bost has tested positive for COVID-19, the latest lawmaker now confirmed to have the virus. The Republican whose district covers most of deep southern Illinois tested positive late Thursday, according to a statement from his office Friday. He had experienced “a mild cough and a rapid loss of both taste and smell,” prompting him to take the test. “We are taking this situation seriously and will continue to serve the people of Southern Illinois while doing our best to ensure their health and safety,” he said in a statement. In recent days, White House staff and a growing number of lawmakers have tested positive. Bost said that he’ll quarantine and postpone his public schedule as he isolates and that the staff members with whom he’s been in contact will do the same. His office was also reaching out to constituents with whom he had met in recent days. Bost said he has consulted with the Capitol’s attending physician.

Indiana

Indianapolis: Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb said he’s still comfortable lifting COVID-19 restrictions after health officials on Friday reported a record-high day of new infections in the state. Officials are now urging people to double down on protective measures. Western Indiana’s Vigo County Health Department issued a warning Friday discouraging large gatherings, noting that the county’s current COVID-19 cases are mostly linked to a recent apple festival and other outdoor events with a large attendance. In Elkhart County, where both of the area’s hospitals are full, the local health department said on its Facebook page that “a major disturbing increase” in the number of coronavirus cases calls for renewed vigilance around mask-wearing and physical distancing. The higher infection numbers come two weeks after Holcomb decided to lift most statewide precaution rules while keeping a face mask mandate in place.

Iowa

Des Moines: Coronavirus infection hospitalizations continued to rise Friday as the state reported 1,184 new coronavirus cases in the prior 24 hours and 14 more deaths. Iowa had posted more than 1,000 new cases in four out of the past eight days, and the number of people in hospitals climbed to an all-time high of 461 on Friday. The death toll reached 1,433. The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Iowa has risen over the past two weeks from 16.27% on Sept. 24 to 17.17% on Oct. 8, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University. Iowa’s rate was fourth in the nation. Virus spread continues across most regions of the state, which has few required limitations. Gov. Kim Reynolds has adopted a voluntary mask and distancing policy approach. Only seven of Iowa’s 99 counties have a positivity rate of less than 5%.

Kansas

Topeka: The state’s top public health official warned Friday that the state is “losing the battle” against the coronavirus as it reported another record increase in new cases. The state Department of Health and Environment said Kansas reported 1,855 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases since Wednesday, an increase of 2.9%, to bring the total for the pandemic to 65,807. The state also reported another 40 COVID-19-related deaths, increasing the pandemic total to 763. Twenty-six of those were reported Thursday in Shawnee County, where the local health department reviewed previous death certificates from the Topeka area. “Other states are doing bad, and we’re doing worse than most,” said Dr. Lee Norman, the head of the state health department. Norman blamed the increases on residents’ refusal to consistently follow public health guidelines for mask-wearing, social distancing and avoiding large public gatherings.

Kentucky

Frankfort: The state remained on a record-setting trajectory with another day of more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases reported, Gov. Andy Beshear said Saturday as he urged people to “buckle down” and do their part to contain the outbreak. The state reported 1,002 more COVID-19 cases, sending total statewide cases past 79,400 since the pandemic began, Beshear said. Seven more virus-related deaths – among people ranging in age from 58 to 93 – were announced Saturday, raising Kentucky’s death toll to 1,249. “The number of positive cases is increasing at a troubling pace,” the Democratic governor said Saturday. “We’ve had multiple week-over-week increases, and we are at an all-time high here in Kentucky. Don’t fool around with this virus.” He continued urging people to wear masks, practice social distancing and wash hands frequently to combat the virus’s spread.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: A staffer for Gov. John Bel Edwards has tested positive for COVID-19, the governor’s office said Friday. The person who tested positive did not have close contact with the governor, but two other staff members who had close contact with the infected person are quarantining for 14 days, Edwards’ office said. The positive test is not the first in Edwards’ administration. In July, the administration announced a staffer in the governor’s press office had tested positive, causing a dozen staffers who came into close contact to quarantine. The governor said he didn’t have close contact with the person in that instance and didn’t quarantine. In the spring, another staff member of the governor’s, an advocate for people with disabilities named April Dunn, died from a COVID-19 infection, The Advocate reports.

Maine

Portland: People seeking to get outdoors during the pandemic have helped set a record at Maine’s 12 state park campgrounds. The season isn’t yet over, but there have been at least 270,794 campers through Sept. 30. That already topped the previous record of 261,589 campers in 2018. It’s especially impressive because the parks opened two to four weeks later and missed the busy Memorial Day weekend, the Portland Press Herald reports. Andy Cutko, director of the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, said many people realized that “being outside was one of the safest places to be.” State park campgrounds will remain open for additional weekends if there’s good weather. State health officials reported another 32 cases of the coronavirus Saturday with no new deaths. Five workers at L.L. Bean’s fulfillment center in Freeport have also tested positive for coronavirus, the company said Friday.

Maryland

Baltimore: Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the Baltimore area has shed tens of thousands of hospitality workers during the coronavirus pandemic. The Baltimore Sun reports many people are choosing to leave the industry altogether. Restaurant work already required long hours and relentless demands. But the pandemic has also made it more physically dangerous and more volatile. Servers are terrified to face customers as the virus continues to spread. And bartenders are struggling to find shifts. The hospitality industry was facing a labor shortage before the pandemic. But business owners now say that it’s become even harder than usual to recruit workers. Many restaurants also have closed permanently.

Massachusetts

Boston: Complaints about a stripper not wearing a mask and packed house parties, as well as personal attacks directed at Gov. Charlie Baker, are just some of the calls received by a state hotline for people to report suspected violations of coronavirus restrictions. More than 200,000 calls have been logged by the state’s 211 coronavirus compliance system since March, according to state records reviewed by the Boston Herald. An adult entertainment club lost its liquor license after a dancer and others were seen not wearing masks, the state said. Other complaints included residents of Nantucket concerned about “sick people from other states” arriving on the island and Harvard Business School students “playing loud music and drinking” without face coverings.Republican Gov. Baker was the target of some callers, including one who said his handling of the pandemic was “treason” and another who said Baker will spend “eternity in hell.”

Michigan

Detroit: A week after the state Supreme Court ruled Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lacked the authority to act unilaterally to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the state health department issued its own emergency order keeping much of the restrictions she imposed in place. The order Friday from Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon comes under the state’s Public Health Code. More than 132,000 virus cases have been confirmed in Michigan, and more than 6,800 people have died from the virus, according to the state. But Gordon said the legal authority behind Friday’s order was enacted by the Legislature following the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918 and specifically deals with epidemics. His order requires masks to be worn at any gatherings occurring at businesses, offices, schools, child care facilities, sporting events and other nonresidential events. Businesses also cannot admit individuals without a face covering.

Minnesota

Minneapolis: The coronavirus isn’t spreading quite as fast in Minnesota as it has in neighboring states that are among the nation’s worst affected, but Minnesota can’t afford to relax either, state health officials said Friday. Kris Ehresmann, the state’s infectious disease director, took note of the “alarming stories” coming out of Wisconsin and the Dakotas, which lead the nation in new cases per capita. “We are not in quite the same situation here in Minnesota, but we’re worried that we have multiple warning lights coming on to our dashboard, and we need to take them seriously,” Ehresmann said at a news briefing. Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said Minnesotans may have done a better job of taking the risks seriously and observing preventive measures compared with other states. But she said the higher growth rates among Minnesota’s neighbors are a “cautionary tale.”

Mississippi

Natchez: A sister and brother died of the coronavirus within days of each other, Adams County Coroner James Lee said. A 73-year-old woman died of COVID-19, and her 69-year-old brother died days later, Lee told the Natchez Democrat. “I’ve seen an increase in COVID deaths in Adams County in the past month, and it’s very scary to me,” Lee told the Democrat last week. Lee said his 25-year-old granddaughter was hospitalized with the coronavirus. “I won’t lie. I’m very afraid of this virus and what I see. I just wish we’d take this thing seriously.” Mississippi is one of the top 20 states with the most new cases per capita in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University data analyzed by the Associated Press. The data was evaluated over a 14-day period.

Missouri

St. Louis: The state reported more than 5,000 new COVID-19 cases Saturday to more than double the previous single-day record. The Department of Health and Senior Services said there have been a total of 144,230 confirmed cases since the outbreak started, up 5,066 from Friday. The previous single-day high of 2,084 new cases was set July 30, KMOV reports. Data from the state also shows that 1,313 people were hospitalized Friday, the second-most for any single day. The rise in hospitalizations is occurring largely in rural communities. “People aren’t following the rules,” Jayne Dees, administrator of the health department in New Madrid County, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Dr. Nathan Sprengel, a doctor at the SEMO Health Network clinic in New Madrid, said some patients get upset when urged to wear masks in the clinic. “That tells me they’re probably not wearing one when they’re out in public,” he said.

Montana

Helena: The state reported more than 700 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday and has topped 200 deaths since the pandemic began in mid-March. An increasing number of cases in the state’s most populous county likely means residents there will be facing more restrictions to stop the spread of the respiratory virus. On Monday, Yellowstone County Health Officer John Felton announced case benchmarks that would lead county health officials to limit the allowed capacity of bars, restaurants and churches to 25%. If the county topped a daily average rate of 40 cases per 100,000 people by the last week in October, the restrictions would begin Nov. 2, he said. However, if the county topped an average rate of 50 cases per day per 100,000 residents in any week before that, the restrictions would begin immediately, Felton said. Businesses that serve alcohol would be required to close at 10 p.m.

Nebraska

Lincoln: Three more staff members with the state Department of Correctional Services have tested positive for COVID-19, officials said. Two are employed at the Nebraska State Penitentiary and one at the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center, the agency said in a news release Saturday. People who live and work at those facilities will be notified. All three staff members are self-isolating at home. The latest cases bring to 170 the number of correctional department employees who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. The department said 126 of them have recovered. On Friday, the state’s online virus tracking site showed 293 Nebraskans are hospitalized with COVID-19, which broke the previous day’s record of 288 and is well above the spring peak of 232 set May 27. On Thursday, 663 new cases of the virus were confirmed in the state, bringing the total to 50,059 confirmed cases and 514 deaths since the pandemic began.

Nevada

Reno: Citing a recent spike in campus COVID-19 cases, the University of Nevada, Reno is suspending all in-class instruction effective Nov. 30 and directing most students not to return to residence halls after Thanksgiving. The school plans for students to return to dormitories for the spring semester – and resume a combination of remote and in-class instruction – on Jan. 25, UNR officials announced Friday. But over the nearly two-month period in between, all classes will be conducted remotely. Only students facing a hardship or other extenuating circumstance will be allowed to live on campus. In recent weeks, 1 out of 9 positive cases of coronavirus in Washoe County has been tied to the university, and the 18-24 age range continues to be the highest range for new cases, school officials said. The county has the state’s highest rate for cases per 100,000 residents over the past 30 days.

New Hampshire

Concord: A woman says her fifth grade son was kicked off a school bus for the rest of the year because of a mask-wearing infraction. Leilani Provencal posted a photo of an “inappropriate bus behavior notification” slip on Facebook, which said her son, Brody Heath, 9, had not worn his mask over his nose. The slip said it was Heath’s second offense for prohibited behavior on the bus. But Provencal told the Caledonian-Record the first warning her son received was for using an electronic device, not for wearing his mask incorrectly. Provencal said her son, who goes to school in Monroe, lowered his mask Tuesday after accepting a mint from a friend, and she’s struggling to understand how there’s no tolerance for a child making a mistake. She told the newspaper she called the bus company, who told her they had a zero tolerance policy for safety infractions related to the pandemic.

New Jersey

Trenton: Former Gov. Chris Christie said Saturday that he has been discharged from a hospital where he spent a week, following his announcement that he had contracted the coronavirus. “I am happy to let you know that this morning I was released from Morristown Medical Center,” Christie said in a Saturday morning post on Twitter. “I want to thank the extraordinary doctors & nurses who cared for me for the last week. Thanks to my family & friends for their prayers. I will have more to say about all of this next week.” Christie announced Oct. 3 that he had tested positive and said hours later that he had checked himself into the hospital after deciding with his doctors that doing so would be “an important precautionary measure,” given his history of asthma. Christie was part of a string of virus cases connected to President Donald Trump’s inner circle.

New Mexico

Santa Fe: A day after reporting a record daily number of additional COVID-19 cases, state officials came close to doing so again Saturday. State officials reported 486 additional COVID-19 cases – two short of the 488 reported Friday – and five additional deaths. The state’s totals increased to 32,722 cases and 907 deaths. Johns Hopkins University data analyzed by the Associated Press indicated the state’s seven-day rolling average of new deaths declined in the past two weeks from 3.3 on Sept. 25 to 2.4 on Friday. Meanwhile, the rolling average of daily new cases over the same period rose from 146 to 299. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday acknowledged the new milestone for daily infections and urged residents to recommit to stopping the pandemic’s spread. “I know we’re tired. I know we’re frustrated,” she said on Twitter. “But COVID-19 is real. And no one’s life is worth the risk.”

New York

New York: Fans of Broadway will have to wait a little longer for shows to resume – until at least late May. Although an exact date for various performances to resume has yet to be determined, Broadway producers are now offering refunds and exchanges for tickets purchased for shows through May 30. The latest delay was endorsed by Actors’ Equity Association, which represents 51,000 theater actors and stage managers. “Today the Broadway League made the difficult but responsible decision to put the safety and health of their workers and audience first. This is a deeply painful time for everyone who depends on the arts for their livelihood,” said Mary McColl, executive director for Actors’ Equity Association. “We are at this moment because, seven months into the pandemic, our nation still lacks a coherent national strategy for masks and testing which could help bring the virus under control.”

North Carolina

Charlotte: Bankruptcy filings in the state have fallen about 30% during the coronavirus pandemic. But The Charlotte Observer reports that more than 3,000 people still filed for bankruptcy from April through September. And that worries experts who say the dip in filings is just a brief reprieve from an expected deluge once some of the COVID-19 relief efforts subside. Federal and local officials have been trying to provide assistance to those who are financially struggling. They’ve postponed evictions, prevented water from being shut off and delayed foreclosures. There also have been extra unemployment benefits. And $1,200 checks were sent to most Americans. But the underlying issues that drive bankruptcies – such as unaffordable health care and low wages – have gotten worse in the pandemic. And they could come into stark relief once the virus-related assistance is gone.

North Dakota

Bismarck: State health officials on Sunday reported a record number of new active COVID-19 cases in the past day, as well as positive virus tests in all but seven of the state’s 53 counties. The update showed 257 active cases statewide, for a total of 4,426 people who are currently infected. It’s the fourth straight day of record active cases. Hospitalizations increased by four, to 144. The number of people in medical facilities has increased steadily for a week, taxing the state’s hospital capacity. A total of 640 people tested positive in the past day. Officials confirmed three new deaths due to complications from the coronavirus. There have been 339 COVID-19-related fatalities in Nebraska since the pandemic began.

Ohio

Columbus: The state reported a record-high number of daily cases of the coronavirus Friday as Republican Gov. Mike DeWine pleaded with residents to continue social distancing and mask-wearing. The 1,840 confirmed and probable cases tallied by the Department of Health were the most in a day since July. The daily number of cases is also well above the 21-day average of 1,119 cases. DeWine on Thursday urged Ohioans to avoid crowded gatherings, citing the case of a wedding he said led to the coronavirus deaths of two grandfathers. Several rural northwestern Ohio counties have among the highest rates of coronavirus cases, something DeWine noted during a trip Friday to Swanton, west of Toledo. DeWine, who lives on his family farm in Cedarville in southwestern Ohio, noted that mask compliance in his area is not great but getting better. Ohio is under a statewide mask order.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: Another one-day record increase in hospitalizations due to the coronavirus was reported Saturday by the Oklahoma State Department of Health in addition to the second-highest one-day increase in confirmed cases. There were 758 people hospitalized and 1,533 newly reported cases, in addition to four additional deaths as a result of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, according to the department. The department had reported new one-day highs for hospitalizations in three of the prior four days. There have been a total of 98,621 cases of the virus reported and 1,095 deaths since the virus was first reported in Oklahoma in March. The true number of coronavirus cases in Oklahoma is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.

Oregon

Drain: A bar with topless dancing in a small town north of Roseburg has had its liquor license suspended by the state, which says the establishment was in violation of COVID-19 social-distancing and face-covering requirements. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission began its investigation of Top of the Bowl in July, KEZI-TV reports. During an initial inspection, an inspector observed a bartender not wearing a face mask. In August, the bar stayed open past 10 p.m., and some staff members were not wearing face masks, according to the commission. An inspector in September reported similar findings, the commission said. Rick Marin, who manages the bar, told KEZI that mistakes had been made, but he promised to do better. In the meantime, he said, the club will remain open without alcoholic beverages. Marin said an appeal had been filed, and he’s working to get the license reinstated.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: The state reported its highest number of confirmed coronavirus infections in six months Saturday amid increased testing. The Department of Health said another 1,742 people tested positive for the virus, the highest case count since the 1,751 recorded April 10. As of Friday, the seven-day average of daily tests was 14,688, versus 7,242 as of April 10, according to the COVID Tracking Project. Saturday’s additions bring the statewide total to 171,050, officials said. Another 36 deaths were reported, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 8,344. Of those deaths, 5,551 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities, officials said. On Thursday, Gov. Tom Wolf said that he was “very concerned” about the rising numbers but that the state was in a much better position to handle the virus than it was at the outset of the pandemic. Health officials cite increased spread among college and university students.

Rhode Island

Providence: The University of Rhode Island issued a two-week shelter-in-place order Friday for fraternity and sorority members, citing a high number of coronavirus cases in the school’s Greek system. The school sent the notice in tandem with its Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association. The order is in effect until Oct. 24, the school said. Members of fraternities and sororities should not leave their houses, on or off campus, whether Greek housing or not, except for medical visits and other essential services, such as grocery shopping and essential employment. The notice says students will take all classes virtually for the duration of the order and should not visit campus if they don’t live there. The school said it based its decision on statistics showing a much higher rate of coronavirus positivity among students in Greek housing, 11.17%, than in total off-campus housing, 3.83%, and the on-campus population, 0.65%.

South Carolina

Columbia: Hours before a second scheduled debate between U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison, event organizers were forced Friday to change the format, offering back-to-back interviews following a day of campaign clashes over COVID-19. Graham and Harrison took part in individual interviews with two television journalists after Harrison threatened to tank the debate over concerns related to Graham’s exposure to other GOP senators who recently tested positive for the virus. With COVID-19 concerns front and center, moderators asked both candidates if they supported a national mask mandate. Harrison said he backed the proposal, which Graham said he didn’t see as enforceable. Harrison also called requiring coronavirus vaccines for school students “a possibility,” while Graham said such issues should be left to states to decide. “Let’s push as hard as we can to get a vaccine to get this virus behind us,” the Republican said.

South Dakota

Sioux Falls: State health officials on Sunday reported a nearly 38% positivity rate on COVID-19 tests in the past day, with 617 new cases. The update lifted the number of positive tests to 28,564. Of those, 5,865 are considered active cases, an increase of 332 from Saturday’s report. No new deaths were reported Sunday. Hospitalizations dropped by one, to 266. COVID-19 patients occupy 11% of the state’s hospital beds, with an overall total availability rate of 42%, according to state Health Department figures. Among staffed ICU beds, 21% are currently being used by COVID-19 patients, and 28% of ICU beds remain available. There were about 772 new cases per 100,000 people in South Dakota over the past two weeks, which ranks second in the country for new cases per capita, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

Tennessee

Nashville: Haunted houses will be open to the public at limited capacity this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, but they’re still welcoming visitors seeking thrills. Patrick Warner, who owns Devil’s Dungeon and Haunted Hell, said the attractions worked with the Metro Nashville Health Department to devise the safest way to open: fewer crowds, temperature checks, mask requirements and changing up the scenes a bit to comply with health precautions. Usually as Halloween inches closer, hundreds of people cram into the haunt looking for a scare, Warner said. This year the attractions will be opened at 50% capacity, and tickets will be sold online to ensure compliance. A potential perk of the new health rules is the added spookiness: You won’t be paired with other groups – only the people you came with. There will be several scenes between you and anyone else, putting you all alone with a cast of frightening monsters.

Texas

Austin: Activists and leaders from the right wing of the Texas Republican Party on Saturday continued their backlash against Gov. Greg Abbott’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, staging a protest outside his home as they criticized his orders as overbearing and unlawful. State party chairman Allen West, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and some GOP lawmakers were among an estimated 200 people gathered outside the governor’s mansion to blast Abbott’s executive orders, including a continued statewide mask mandate and lockdowns. “Quite frankly, governor, your cure is worse than the disease,” Miller said, according to The Texas Tribune. West, who has criticized some of Abbott’s efforts to stem the virus’s spread, read a resolution that the State Republican Executive Committee passed last month calling for Texas to reopen. The crowd marched around the mansion carrying signs such as “Open Texas Now” and “Exile King Abbott.”

Utah

Hyrum: A newly released inspection report has revealed that a coronavirus outbreak at a meatpacking plant was more widespread than local health officials previously reported. The Utah Occupational Safety and Health Division report said the JBS Beef Plant in Hyrum had 441 employees test positive for COVID-19 as of June 16, and one employee had died as a result, FOX-13 reports. The Bear River Health Department previously told The Salt Lake Tribune that 385 employees tested positive and that no deaths were linked to the outbreak. The report did not name the worker who died, but company spokesperson Nikki Richardson said additional life insurance and compensation was given to the family. Bear River Health Department Epidemiologist Caleb Harrison said there was a discrepancy in numbers because the cases were being investigated based on where employees lived, not where they worked.

Vermont

East Dorset: The shrinelike birthplace of one of the two Vermont natives who founded Alcoholics Anonymous is in danger of closing, another victim of the restrictions made necessary by the coronavirus pandemic. The shutdown from March until midsummer meant no people could stay in rooms in the hotel where AA co-founder Bill Wilson, according to the organization’s lore, was “born behind the bar” in 1895. Dr. Andrea Barthwell, a former official in the Office of National Drug Control Policy who visited Wilson House in 2003 while promoting an effort of the George W. Bush administration to help people fight addiction, said as someone in recovery, walking the halls of the Wilson House had a profound impact. “It would be an incredible loss to have that go down because of COVID,” she said. “COVID has destroyed enough.”

Virginia

Virginia Beach: A Virginia-based company that makes disposable face masks and surgical masks plans to create 180 jobs and invest $5.3 million to grow its operations in the area. Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday that PremiumEstore LLC will expand its operation in the Virginia Beach area by purchasing new equipment and hiring more people to increase its manufacturing capacity, news outlets report. PremiumEstore has been an e-cigarette distributor since 2008, but the company pivoted to PPE production in March. It began operating as Premium-PPE and producing AmeriShield masks. Northam said the company can currently produce up to 20 millions masks a month. Premium-PPE will receive incentives through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program, which assists and funds employee recruitment and training.

Washington

Tacoma: Enrollment at public schools in the state has declined by about 31,000 students compared to last year, mostly because of the coronavirus pandemic, a report said. Data from the office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction released Wednesday shows there was a 2.82% decrease in K-12 school enrollment this September compared to September 2019, The News Tribune reports. School officials say about a third of the decline, or more than 11,000 students, was due to parents not enrolling their kindergarten-age children or delaying their start in public school. As a result, kindergarten saw the largest decline at 14% compared to September of last year. “Across the board, the early grades experienced larger declines in enrollment than the later grades,” the report said. State Superintendent Chris Reykdal said the COVID-19 pandemic is driving the enrollment decrease.

West Virginia

Charleston: Gov. Jim Justice announced Friday that bars around West Virginia University in Morgantown can reopen next Tuesday, a month after images of maskless college students packing bars led them to be shut down. Police and state alcohol regulators will step up enforcement in the college town, Justice said at a coronavirus press briefing. The Republican governor abruptly ordered Monongalia County bars to close indefinitely Sept. 2 – just two days after allowing them to reopen – as many patrons lined up without social distancing. The owners of 12 restaurants and bars sued the governor and local officials in Morgantown last month in federal court over the shutdown. “Bars that don’t enforce these guidelines, where we see a bunch of people packed in with no mask wearing … you will be shut down again,” Justice said, adding that establishments risk having their licenses suspended.

Wisconsin

Madison: Gov. Tony Evers’ administration can’t release the names of businesses with COVID-19-positive employees until at least the end of November, a judge ruled Thursday. Three business groups, including Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, filed a lawsuit Oct. 1 in Waukesha County Circuit Court to stop the administration from fulfilling an open records request from media outlets seeking the names. The groups argued the release would blacklist the businesses as COVID-19 surges unchecked across Wisconsin. Judge Lloyd Carter issued a five-day stay on the release the same day the lawsuit was filed. On Thursday he extended the stay until the next hearing in the case Nov. 30. Evers spokeswoman Britt Cudaback didn’t immediately respond to an email Friday morning seeking comment.

Wyoming

Jackson: Yellowstone National Park has reported it had its most-ever September visitors. The increase contrasts sharply with May, when visitation rates were 90% lower compared to the same month last year. The park recorded about 837,000 visits in September, a rate 21% higher than September 2019 and 15.6% higher than the park’s second-busiest September on record in 2018, when it hosted 724,000 people. Yellowstone was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic from March 24 to May 18, when its two Wyoming entrances reopened. In June, the park opened its three other entrances, and visitation rates improved slightly. The park reported a 32% decline in visitors compared to the same month last year. Visitation rates through June were down 49% compared to numbers from the first six months of 2019.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AA shrine, haunted houses: News from around our 50 states