Busting Bundy, blaming students, supporting masks: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama has recorded 531 cases of COVID-19 on campus since the fall semester began last week, according to numbers the university system released Tuesday as officials try to clamp down on student parties, bars and other gatherings that could spread the coronavirus. Dr. Selwyn Vickers, dean of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Medicine and co-chair of the university system’s Health and Safety Task Force, attributed the spike “to student behavior.” Auburn University has also seen an uptick in cases since students returned to campus Aug. 17, according to numbers released by the university. The university reported 202 students and five employees at the main Auburn campus tested positive for COVID-19 between Aug. 15 and Aug. 21. Since mid-March, there have been 545 cases among students and staff, although most were not on campus before August.

Alaska

Anchorage: State health data indicates Pacific Islanders and Alaska Natives are more likely to contract the coronavirus and be hospitalized with the illness it causes. Beyond underlying medical conditions, culture and economics contribute to the disparity, Alaska Public Media reports. Data indicates Pacific Islanders in Alaska have contracted COVID-19 at about eight times the rate of the rest of the population and are more than four times as likely to be hospitalized with the virus. Alaska Natives are more than one-and-a-half times as likely to contract the coronavirus and have been hospitalized almost twice as much. Pacific Islanders, Alaska Natives and American Indians, who also have been more susceptible to the virus, are more likely to live in crowded, multigenerational housing where the virus can easily spread.

Arizona

Phoenix: The fight over whether Phoenix-area gyms, bars, movie theaters and water parks can reopen could be a moot point by Thursday if Maricopa County’s downward trend in coronavirus cases holds, the state’s top health officer said. Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Department of Health Services, said she expects the county will hit levels for “moderate” spread of the virus on that day. That means gyms that have been seeking waivers from the department can reopen even without one at reduced capacity. Five smaller counties – Cochise, Coconino, Greenlee, LaPaz and Yavapai – already are rated at “moderate,” and other counties besides Maricopa could reach that mark this week. Also headed in that direction are Pinal and Pima counties. Christ’s remarks came as Arizona nears 200,000 confirmed virus cases after state health officials reported an additional 859 new cases Tuesday.

Arkansas

Little Rock: Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday rejected a White House task force’s recommendation that Arkansas close bars and implement other restrictions, despite the state posting the ninth-highest rate of positive coronavirus tests in the country. The White House Coronavirus Task Force issued the recommendation in a weekly report to the state that was first obtained by the Center for Public Integrity. Hutchinson said he didn’t see a need for shutting down bars because the state had not linked an increase in cases to activity at them. The Republican governor said the state was trying to strike the right balance. “These are small-business people who are hurting,” said Hutchinson, who noted that the state is already limiting bars and restaurants to two-thirds capacity. The governor noted that the task force had moved the state out of the “red zone” for positivity rates because it was no longer above 10%.

California

Sacramento: More children with specialized needs, such as students with disabilities or those who are homeless, will be allowed back in classrooms even as most schools remain shut for in-person learning under new state guidance released Tuesday. Schools in most counties are closed for in-person learning because of the coronavirus. But the new guidance would allow the return to school for some children in grades K-12 in groups of up to 14 students. The limited return to school applies to students needing special care, such those with disabilities, English language learners, kids at risk of abuse or neglect, or students who are homeless. It’s aimed at ensuring the students can access services like occupational therapy, speech and language services and individualized education programs. Statewide, counties can begin reopening schools for all children if they are off a state watch list that tracks virus cases, infection rates and hospitalizations for two weeks.

Colorado

Fort Collins: The Poudre School District Board of Education has approved the purchase of thousands of laptops and other devices the district said it needed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The board unanimously approved the more than $7.4 million in emergency COVID-19 spending for the devices and other materials during a meeting Tuesday. According to the board agenda, the approval came after Superintendent Sandra Smyser emailed the board July 2 about these “high-priority purchases” the district would need to prepare for the variety of learning environments the district could face this school year, including remote, in-person or hybrid learning. These purchases include laptops, iPads, personal WiFi devices and cleaning devices. The expenses were charged to either the district’s COVID Response Reserve or to the technology refresh program budget.

Connecticut

Danbury: State and local officials on Tuesday urged the city’s residents to get tested for COVID-19 and pick up the phone when a contact tracer calls, saying it’s crucial to stopping the current “uptick” of cases in the western Connecticut city from turning into a “runaway freight train.” Mayor Mark Boughton, a Republican, said state and local officials are relying on contact tracing and stepped-up testing at nursing homes and throughout the community to help stop further spread. The city has also taken other steps, such as asking churches to hold virtual rather than in-person religious services and delaying plans for in-person learning at the public schools until at least Oct. 1. The city, which borders New York, has been seeing a rolling average of 22 new daily cases per 100,000 people. That represents a roughly 6% to 7% infection rate, officials said. Statewide, the infection rate is about 1%.

Delaware

Wilmington: Nearly six months into the pandemic, a total of 1,032 poultry workers in the state have been infected with the coronavirus, and seven have died, according to new data released by the state Tuesday. This means about 6% of confirmed Delaware COVID-19 cases involve poultry processing plant workers. As of Aug. 25, state health officials have confirmed 16,962 coronavirus cases and 603 related deaths. Jennifer Brestel, a spokeswoman for the Division of Public Health, said these cases are among residents who identified as working in the poultry industry and may include plants based in Delaware and Maryland. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of April, 9,411 people worked in Delaware’s six plants. In the Delmarva region, the industry employs more than 20,000 people.

District of Columbia

Washington: D.C. Public Schools students start their school year virtually Monday, and Chancellor Lewis Ferebee said the “vast majority” of students will have devices on day one, WUSA-TV reports. The only reason not all students will have device access is that only 32,000 families responded to the DCPS tech survey, Ferebee said. School leaders say they are still trying to contact families they haven’t heard from, meaning device distribution will likely last into the first week of school. The chancellor said students from kindergarten through 12th grade will get laptops. Pre-K students will get iPads starting in September. A hotline and tech support are available to families, and school leaders are in daily contact with Microsoft to make sure their platform – Microsoft Teams – runs without any glitches during virtual learning, Ferebee said. But should something occur, he said students will receive learning packets from their schools.

Florida

Miami: Dorm-room parties are being blamed for a coronavirus outbreak at the University of Miami, where some students who tested positive have been relocated into isolation rooms, and two entire floors of a residential tower are under quarantine. Other students have been kicked out of residence halls and suspended for not following public health directives, said Dr. Julio Frenk, the university’s president. The university’s dashboard says 156 people have tested positive in the university system. Similar challenges are being addressed at other colleges across the state, where the Department of Public Health reported 4,545 COVID-19 hospitalizations Tuesday, along with about 2,600 new cases. The University of Tampa began classes Wednesday but had already temporarily suspended some students who participated in a large gathering at a residence hall as they were moving in. Florida A&M University is imposing curfews for residential students.

Georgia

Savannah: The beginning of the school year has been marred by bugs and glitches. The first few days of virtual school for Savannah-Chatham County public school students offered the usual spate of middle school and high school students trying to figure out their schedules and elementary students trying to find their room or teachers – all online. Some periods of slow or no internet connectivity and occasional power outages due to storms added to the troubles. Students are dealing with logins, passwords, website links, cameras and audio issues. And a prank at New Hampstead High School ruffled feathers when a pornographic clip appeared on the screen for a class being held via Zoom. District officials are investigating the incident but have not released any details.

Hawaii

Honolulu: The state’s most populous island is returning to a stay-at-home order while officials strive to conduct 70,000 COVID-19 tests in two weeks amid a surge in cases. Oahu has seen daily triple-digit positive cases in recent weeks, an alarming spike after Hawaii had enjoyed the lowest infection rates in the nation per capita earlier in the pandemic. With help from the federal government, Oahu officials will conduct mass testing across the island with the goal of testing 5,000 people daily for two weeks, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell announced Tuesday. The tests will be free, with no symptoms, health insurance or doctor referral needed, Honolulu Fire Chief Manuel Neves said. Starting Thursday, Oahu’s gyms and dine-in restaurants must be closed. Religious services will be allowed to continue. Essential businesses such as grocery stores, banks and child care facilities can remain open. The island’s parks and trails are already closed, Caldwell said.

Idaho

Boise: Anti-government activist Ammon Bundy was arrested Wednesday for the second time in two days at the Statehouse. Idaho State Police put Bundy in a wheelchair and removed him from the Senate gallery. Bundy, who led the 2016 occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, was arrested Tuesday in a committee room and charged with trespassing and resisting and obstructing officers. During that arrest, he refused to stand and was wheeled out in an office chair. Idaho State Police say he is prohibited from coming to the Statehouse for one year following the Tuesday arrest. The yearlong ban came after consultation with Republican Gov. Brad Little as well as leaders in the House and Senate. Lawmakers are meeting in a special session called by Little because of the coronavirus. Bundy and his supporters are opposed to proposed legislation that would shield businesses, schools and government entities from liability if someone catches COVID-19.

Illinois

Chicago: State officials have expanded rules requiring masks while dining indoors, saying Tuesday that customers must wear face coverings during each interaction with servers and other restaurant workers. State officials said the requirements – including while servers are taking an order or bringing a bill – go into effect Wednesday and follow a recent increase in COVID-19 cases. Currently, customers are required to wear masks except while eating and drinking. The revision extends the requirement to all interactions with employees while seated. “Going out for food and drinks should not be a reason or an excuse to let our guards down in the fight against COVID-19,” said the department’s director, Dr. Ngozi Ezike. Meanwhile, in Chicago, officials looking ahead to winter launched a challenge to propose outdoor dining solutions for when temperatures drop. The winners get a $5,000 cash prize.

Indiana

Bloomington: Fewer than 1% of Indiana University students who arrived on campus for the start of classes Monday tested positive for COVID-19, according to new data released by the university Tuesday. IU tested every student upon arrival to any of the system’s four residential campuses, the beginning of a massive testing campaign the university plans to conduct throughout the school year in an effort to slow the spread of the virus on its campuses. “Our goal is to make it safer to be part of the IU community than not to be,” said Dr. Aaron E. Carroll, IU’s director of surveillance and mitigation for the COVID-19 pandemic and a professor of pediatrics at the IU School of Medicine. With 81% of the 39,000 on-arrival tests processed, the university had a 0.91% positivity rate. That means roughly 300 students spread across IU’s Bloomington, Indianapolis, South Bend and New Albany campuses tested positive.

Iowa

Des Moines: The city’s school district sued the state Tuesday, challenging a policy that forces districts to hold at least half of their educational programs in person in classrooms unless their areas meet a high threshold of positive coronavirus cases. The lawsuit by Iowa’s largest school district asks the court to reverse the state’s rejection of its plan to begin the school year with students at home and to prevent the state from forcing it to reopen schools “when it is unsafe to do so.” The lawsuit also seeks a court judgment that invalidates Gov. Kim Reynolds’ July 17 proclamation requiring districts to return unless they are in counties with especially high levels of coronavirus cases and meet other Department of Education guidelines. The lawsuit names the governor, other state officials, and the Board of Education, Education Department and Public Health Department.

Kansas

Topeka: Some schools might be able to play a truncated version of their fall season in the spring under a plan that the Kansas High School Activities Association is considering. With some of the state’s largest districts canceling or suspending fall sports and other extracurricular activities, the association’s Executive Board voted 9-0 Monday in favor of the “alternative fall season opportunity.” Any schools that play in the alternative season won’t have a playoff. If enough similarly sized schools move their fall seasons, the spring sports season also could be pushed back by about a month. The association’s board of directors, made up of more than 70 representatives, will take final action Friday. Because a virtual format already has been approved for debate and is pending approval for a quiz-based competition called scholars bowl, those two activities wouldn’t be affected.

Kentucky

Frankfort: The state will pump $8 million into an effort to supply internet access to children in low-income homes as schools open with digital learning because of the coronavirus, Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration said Tuesday. The investment – drawn from federal COVID-19 relief aid sent to Kentucky – is meant to close the “digital divide” that leaves some children in rural and urban areas without broadband access at home, Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman said. The initiative will help reduce the monthly cost for low-income parents to gain access to the internet for their school-age children, Coleman said. About 32,000 Kentucky children lack internet access at home, she said. “We have to do better by that remaining 5% of students that still do not have access to broadband in their homes,” Coleman told reporters.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: As the state has made significant strides in combating its second coronavirus surge, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Wednesday that he’s keeping Louisiana’s mask mandate, bar closures and other rules in place for another two weeks. The rules were set to expire Friday. The Democratic governor made the announcement at a news conference largely devoted to the approach of Hurricane Laura, which was heading toward southwest Louisiana with dangerous storm surge, rain and wind. Edwards lamented that the impending storm meant suspension of community testing for COVID-19 at a crucial time – as elementary and secondary schools are opening and as students are returning to college campuses. “We’re basically going to be blind for this week,” Edwards said, referring to the lack of testing. Also worrying: The storm was forcing evacuations from an area of the state where there has been a high rate of positive tests.

Maine

Portland: The coronavirus pandemic canceled the state’s annual spring celebration of maple syrup, but the event will finally take place this fall. Maine Maple Sunday was originally scheduled to take place in March, when the pandemic was intensifying around the country. The Maine Maple Producers Association said Wednesday that the event will take place Oct. 9-11. The association said the weekend will include virtual elements as well as traditional in-person visits to the state’s sugar houses. Maine is the third-largest maple producer in the country, after Vermont and New York. Maple association President Scott Dunn said the industry has taken a hit from the virus outbreak. “There is no doubt, the pandemic has hit our producers really hard,” he said. Holding the maple weekend in the fall will change the look of the event somewhat, as it typically takes place at a time of the year when sap buckets are a common sight on trees.

Maryland

Salisbury: Classes at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore have begun, as the campus reopened to students for the first time since closing in March due to the pandemic. UMES and other historically black colleges and universities face new challenges this school year with coronavirus monitoring and precautions, as well as the virus’s impact on their budgets. Lower-income Black and brown communities have seen a disproportionate number of coronavirus cases and deaths, which has factored into some students’ decisions on whether to return to campus, said UMES spokeswoman Alissa Carr. Most undergraduates at UMES are Black, and about half of students receive federal Pell Grants. Carr said many students live with grandparents who are at high risk of complications from COVID-19 and feel it’s safer for their family members if they go back to school.

Massachusetts

Boston: The main branch of the Boston Public Library is reopening to the public on a limited basis for the first time since March to allow city residents to use the computers, officials say. The program will allow people to search for jobs, attend online classes, download e-books and perform other online tasks in a socially distant setting, library officials and Mayor Marty Walsh said in a statement Tuesday. In addition, the library is providing free, 24-hour, outdoor Wi-Fi access at nine branch locations across the city. “By providing computer and Wi-Fi access, we will provide a digital lifeline to many Bostonians, helping our libraries fulfill their mission to provide educational and cultural resources, free to all,” Walsh said in a statement. The main branch in Copley Square has been closed to the general public since March because of the coronavirus pandemic, although residents can go to a library to pick up reserved books.

Michigan

Lansing: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday urged residents to get the flu vaccine to ease the load on the health system if there is a surge of coronavirus cases during the fall and winter influenza season, announcing the state wants at least 1 million more people vaccinated. She received a flu shot during a news conference to “show how easy it is.” More than 3.2 million of Michigan’s 10 million residents were vaccinated against the flu last season. The state’s goal is to increase that number by a third, to 4.3 million. It announced an advertising campaign that will begin next week, and hospitals and community health centers said they will boost their own efforts to encourage flu vaccinations. “When we all get our flu vaccine, we can help keep thousands of patients out of the hospital and prevent overcrowding,” Whitmer said.

Minnesota

Minneapolis: The state plans to more than double its coronavirus testing capacity by partnering with a national distributor of a rapid saliva test and establishing a new lab to process the results, the governor’s office announced Tuesday. The state is finalizing a $14.7 million deal with Rutgers University-based RUCDR Infinite Biologics, which offers the country’s first saliva COVID-19 test, and Vault Health, which will help carry out the tests. State officials hope to have the new lab up and running in the St. Paul suburb of Oakdale by October. The state is using federal funds. The lab will add 30,000 daily tests to the state’s current testing capacity of 20,000 per day. The state averages about 14,000 test results each day. Saliva tests are already used by professional sports teams and other organizations, but there have been some reports of false-positive results. The traditional molecular testing Minnesota has been using since March also has limitations.

Mississippi

Jackson: A high school is shutting down for two weeks because of a coronavirus outbreak that happened after large, “unnecessary” social gatherings where distancing guidelines were ignored, the state health officer said Tuesday. Dr. Thomas Dobbs said officials at Biloxi High School made the “exactly right decision” when they announced Monday that students would learn virtually until at least Sept. 8. Extracurricular activities were also temporarily suspended, including some of the first football games of the season, causing some negative reactions from athletes and parents. Gov. Tate Reeves said the school made the decision to close after between one-third and one-fifth of all students were exposed, a situation he described as a “learning experience” for Biloxi and other districts in the state. “Don’t have parties with 150 to 200 people there,” he said. “It’s not going to work out well for anyone.”

Missouri

Columbia: An associate professor at the University of Missouri says he was “relieved of teaching duties” after an online class exchange in which he said to a student from Wuhan, China, “Well, let me get my mask on.” Joel Poor sent a notification to students Monday saying, “Today I was relieved of teaching duties, I apologize for any disruption this might cause you.” But university spokesman Christian Basi said Tuesday that Poor was not fired and remains an employee who has been “assigned to other duties.” The Columbia Missourian reports Poor was leading an online marketing class when the exchange took place. Poor later apologized in an email and said the reference was meant as a joke. But many students said they found the comment racist and xenophobic. Basi said the comment was reported to the university’s Office of Civil Rights and Title IX for investigation. He said Poor “will be provided due process.”

Montana

Billings: Officials said Tuesday that they have suspended the transfer of state inmates out of three county jails because of COVID-19 outbreaks at the facilities that combined have infected more than 90 inmates and staff. The outbreaks come as authorities overseeing jails in Billings and Great Falls have pressed state officials to remove some inmates to reduce crowding. At least 34 inmates at the Yellowstone County Detention Center in Billings and 53 inmates at two staff at the Cascade County Detention Center in Great Falls have tested positive for the coronavirus in recent days. Several inmates at the Big Horn County Jail in Hardin tested positive last month. The movement suspensions will remain until the jails see a “significant reduction in active virus cases,” State Department of Corrections spokeswoman Carolynn Bright said. Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter said he was “not happy” with the state’s decisions.

Nebraska

Lincoln: Lincoln Public Schools reported two new coronavirus cases Tuesday, bringing the district’s total to 10 since the beginning of the school year. The new cases were confirmed at Lux and Moore middle schools, which notified parents in a message, according to the Lincoln Journal Star. School officials said they’re working to trace where the cases originated and others who might have been exposed. School officials wouldn’t say whether the positive cases were students, staff or visitors. Anyone deemed to be a high-risk contact will be contacted and told to self-quarantine. High-risk contact occurs when people are less than 6 feet apart for more than 15 minutes without masks. Nebraska has reported 32,047 confirmed coronavirus cases and 383 deaths since the pandemic began, according to the state’s online tracking portal. Nearly 341,000 people have been tested so far.

Nevada

Carson City: The state is making plans to funnel $300 a week in federal coronavirus pandemic relief funds to out-of-work residents but won’t add $100 from the state, Gov. Steve Sisolak and state unemployment officials announced Tuesday. The state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation said it will ask the Federal Emergency Management Agency to add Nevada to the list of states seeking lost wages aid under a program created this month by President Donald Trump. “Nevada … anticipates not being able to contribute the additional $100 per week due to budget concerns,” the governor and DETR said in a statement. The department said qualified applicants probably won’t begin receiving payments until at least four to six weeks after FEMA approves the state request for temporary disaster relief. Payments would be retroactive to Aug. 1, it said.

New Hampshire

Concord: A review of nursing homes that experienced coronavirus outbreaks found no correlation between their ventilation systems and how the virus spread through the facilities, the state health commissioner said Tuesday. The state hired outside investigators to review ventilation at 28 long-term care facilities, including the hourly air exchange rate and how often filters were replaced. The systems varied widely in age and design, but the results showed no patterns in terms of the virus, said Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette. Investigators did recommend increasing the air exchange in residents’ rooms and common areas, as well as adding ultraviolet light protection in duct systems, Shibinette said. And the state is still encouraging schools and businesses to review their own systems.

New Jersey

Trenton: Gyms can reopen beginning Sept. 1, after nearly six months of being closed, if they limit capacity to 25%, Gov. Phil Murphy said in a tweet Wednesday. Masks will be required. The facilities have been shut since March, when state officials ordered fitness centers closed to curb the spread of COVID-19. In recent months, as some parts of the economy have reopened, gyms have lagged. “It brings us no joy to say that,” Murphy said in June about keeping gyms closed. “We would love to open those things up. We are just not there yet. We just don’t think it’s the responsible thing to do.” In July, state officials said gyms could begin offering individualized, appointment-only training sessions. Gyms were included in Phase 2 of the state’s reopening, but, until now, it was unclear if the businesses would even reopen in 2020.

New Mexico

Santa Fe: A sharp decline in reports of child abuse and neglect in the state at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic is prompting concerns that problems are going unnoticed while children stay home from school. The accountability office of the Legislature said Monday that hotline reports of suspected child abuse and neglect declined by 42% in April and 33% in May compared with the same months in 2019. Analysts say school closures mean that nurses and social workers have less contact with children that could provide clues about abuse and neglect. Across the U.S., about one-fifth of suspected child abuse complaints originate from school staff. “The loss of a key source of reporting, coupled with additional strains on families facing the financial and emotional hardships of the pandemic, has raised concerns that child abuse is surging unseen,” Legislative Finance Committee staff said in a newsletter.

New York

Albany: Unions representing New York transit workers are demanding swift access to protective gear, better enforcement of mask-wearing and increased service as more businesses and schools reopen their doors. Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Patrick Foye told lawmakers at a Tuesday legislative hearing that subway ridership remains three-quarters below pre-pandemic levels. Still, transit workers are calling for even more safety measures, like making hand sanitizer widely available and better enforcing mask wearing, as ridership increases. Union leaders acknowledge it’s a tough argument to make, as the MTA estimates it’s losing about $200 million a week. New York is trying to encourage riders to return by disinfecting subways each night and offering a smartphone app that lets passengers know which train cars have more space to spread out.

North Carolina

Raleigh: North Carolinians will soon get some much-needed relief to help pay their rent and utility bills through three new programs. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper unveiled a new program Tuesday to give residents $94 million to prevent evictions and reduce electricity costs. An additional $53 million will be available to families that are homeless or face an immediate risk of becoming homeless. Another $28 million will be administered by local governments with less than 50,000 residents and counties with fewer than 200,000 residents to further help community members pay for rent and outstanding utility bills. Meanwhile, the state is grappling with a large uptick in coronavirus cases across many college campuses. During the second week of classes, the proportion of COVID-19 tests coming back positive at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was 32.2%, up from 13.6% during the first week of classes and 2.8% the week before.

North Dakota

Bismarck: Active coronavirus cases in the state rose to another new daily high Wednesday. Health officials said the number of active cases was 1,784 on Wednesday, an increase of 103 from the previous high set Tuesday. North Dakota’s death toll remained at 138. The state on Wednesday remained in the “low” risk level under Gov. Doug Burgum’s ND Smart Restart Plan. North Dakota health officials reported 238 new positive COVID-19 cases, including 64 cases in Burleigh County and 12 in neighboring Morton County. The counties that include the Bismarck metropolitan area have been the state’s hot spot for the virus in recent weeks. The number of North Dakota patients currently hospitalized was 53 on Wednesday, up three from Tuesday. There were 135 new recoveries reported, bringing the total number to 8,545 since the pandemic began.

Ohio

Columbus: Democrats sued the state’s election chief Tuesday seeking to force an expansion of ballot drop boxes ahead of the November election. The complaint filed against Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose outlines what Democrats see as an urgent need to expand the number of secure voter drop boxes in Ohio’s 88 counties. County election boards maintain single drop boxes at each board location as an alternative to mailing in an absentee ballot. The lawsuit comes two weeks after LaRose issued a directive that prohibited election boards from installing drop boxes anywhere but the board location, effectively limiting the number of boxes to one per county. Voting advocates have promoted the use of drop boxes as a key tool to delivering absentee ballots to election boards during the coronavirus pandemic.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: The reported number of coronavirus cases in the state is approaching 55,000, and there are 19 additional deaths due to COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, the Oklahoma State Department of Health said Wednesday. The department reported 54,838 virus cases and 763 deaths, up from 54,172 confirmed cases and 744 deaths reported Tuesday. The true number of cases in Oklahoma is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick. The department reported 7,661 active virus cases and said 46,414 people have recovered.

Oregon

Coos Bay: The Oregon Liquor Control Commission has suspended the alcohol license of Coos Bay Speedway Enterprises, saying it violated public health requirements on social distancing and face coverings. The business, which holds a Limited On-Premises sales license, is not allowed to sell any alcoholic beverages, the commission said. On Aug. 14, the operators of the Coos Bay Speedway staged an event with a crowd estimated by commission staff to be 1,000 or more people. Under Oregon’s phase two reopening guidance, venue and event operators are required to limit outdoor gatherings to 250 people. Inspectors also reportedly saw an absence of social distancing between spectators, and few of the race track staff or patrons were wearing face coverings, including people serving alcohol.

Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh: About 10,000 state prison inmates fraudulently applied for unemployment benefits during the coronavirus pandemic, prosecutors said in announcing charges Tuesday against 33 people. “These 33 defendants represent, truly, the tip of the iceberg, and we are seeing unemployment fraud on an unprecedented scale,” U.S. Attorney Scott Brady said at a news conference. Investigators recently were able to cross-check a list of state inmates against those who applied for pandemic unemployment benefits and found about 10,000 matches, Brady’s office said. Along with applications by county and federal inmates, Brady said, he believes the total cost of the fraud in Pennsylvania is approaching a quarter-billion dollars. Those charged this week, including some who have not yet been arrested, are a mixture of inmates and people outside jail.

Rhode Island

South Kingstown: The town is warning University of Rhode Island students that off-campus parties that violate state restrictions on large gatherings intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus will not be tolerated. Town Manager Robert Zarnetske has issued an executive order that imposes a $500 fine for anyone who hosts an off-campus party or gathering, WPRI-TV reports. The order takes effect Wednesday. Anyone who attends such a party could face a $250 fine, while landlords and parents could also be held liable if they co-signed the lease. “If you’re underage, and you’re drinking at an off-campus party, you can expect to be arrested, criminally charged and fined,” Zarnetske said. “We’re not messing around when it comes to the public health of the community.” Students have already started moving into campus dorms.

South Carolina

Columbia: All employees at Clemson University who make at least $50,000 a year will be required to take at least one day off this year without pay as the school deals with lost revenue from the COVID-19 pandemic, university officials said Monday. The more an employee makes, the more furlough days they will have to take. The unpaid days off move closer to five for employees making at least $100,000 a year. And the university’s highest paid employees with salaries of at least $400,000 – including Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney and university President Jim Clements – have agreed to take a 10% pay cut. Clemson estimates it will lose up to $180 million between losing fans at football games, losing fees and tuition from the spring and fall semesters, and having to buy protective equipment and renovate classrooms for social distancing and COVID-19 safety.

South Dakota

Vermillion: The number of COVID-19 cases in the state’s public universities is already higher than what the health department announced Monday, according to each university’s online tracker. Those trackers show more than 100 active positive cases overall as of Tuesday. That number does not include those considered in isolation or quarantine, but the number of those in isolation or quarantine at home or on campus has already surpassed 400, with the largest group at the University of South Dakota. The trackers, or online dashboards, were posted to university websites Tuesday and Wednesday as part of the South Dakota Board of Regents efforts to inform the general public about the scope of the issue at each of its six higher education institutions. The only dashboard not available yet was at South Dakota State University.

Tennessee

Nashville: A judge has ordered state election officials to clearly communicate on absentee ballot applications that people can vote by mail if they believe they or someone in their care faces a higher risk of COVID-19. State officials promised the Tennessee Supreme Court this month that they would inform voters about that eligibility, asserting for the first time that underlying health conditions could qualify someone to vote absentee under their plan. Days later, the justices overturned a vote-by-mail option for all eligible voters that Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle ordered in June. In court, the state has described the process as an “honor system” in which voters decide if underlying conditions qualify them to vote by mail rather than risk infection at the polls. State lawyers told Lyle voters can’t be charged with perjury for determining their condition makes them eligible. But Lyle said the state isn’t being clear enough with voters.

Texas

Austin: Mass evacuations along the coast as Hurricane Laura approached were unfolding with the pandemic also a concern of residents and emergency officials, who urged families to hunker down in hotels instead of shelters and loaded disinfectants onto buses that shuttled families inland to safety. More than 385,000 residents were told to flee the Texas cities of Beaumont, Galveston and Port Arthur. The evacuations began another test of the state’s handling of the coronavirus, which clobbered Texas this summer and has resulted in more than 11,000 deaths. State officials said buses deployed to the coast were stocked with personal protective equipment and disinfectants, and buses would make more trips and carry fewer passengers in order to keep people farther apart. Virus testing teams will also be deployed to shelters “as soon as practical,” said Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

Utah

St. George: Hundreds of community members protested mask-wearing Friday, but come Monday, it was largely business as usual at local schools, masks and all. Schools have so far seen little to no actual pushback from students, said Washington County School District Communications Director Steven Dunham. In fact, during a recent football game at Enterprise High School, students – of their own accord – asked community members to support mask-wearing so they can stay in school. “The students in Enterprise actually kind of started a whole campaign on social media to shut down the protests,” Dunham said. “They want to be in school.” Dunham said that on Monday, six students chose to go home with parents rather than wear masks. In contrast, the district has seen more schools receiving treats and thank-you notes than it’s seen protests. “People may not love this situation we’re in, but they’re willing to (wear masks),” he said.

Vermont

Montpelier: Gov. Phil Scott said Tuesday that most of the state’s schools will begin the school year having students studying at home and in school. Scott said the low rate of infection in Vermont should make it possible for students to return to school safely. In a normal year, students would be headed back to class this week. But the start of the school year was delayed two weeks, until Sept. 8, to give schools time to prepare for the year while keeping children healthy and minimizing the possibility of spreading the virus. In many districts, teachers are at work this week preparing their classrooms and testing the equipment they will use for remote teaching. The hybrid approach would have students studying remotely at home some days and in classes other days until conditions allow the resumption of full-time, in-person education.

Virginia

Richmond: A committee in the Legislature has halted legislation that would create exceptions for people who don’t want to get a COVID-19 vaccine once one is available. The Roanoke Times reports the proposal was defeated in the House of Delegates’ Democratic-controlled Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee. Proposals from Republican Delegates Mark Cole and David LaRock would have created exceptions. The measure included exceptions for religious reasons as well as for people who don’t want to receive a mandated vaccine during a public health emergency. One proposal also would have prevented the state health commissioner from requiring people to take vaccines during a public health epidemic. Dr. Norman Oliver, Virginia’s health commissioner, caused a recent stir when he told WRIC he would mandate COVID-19 vaccinations. Gov. Ralph Northam’s office said he did not plan for the state to mandate vaccinations.

Washington

Point Roberts: The border closure between Canada and the United States has severely hurt this town that is isolated from the rest of the country. The extended coronavirus-induced border closure shut down two border crossings for the town of about 1,300 people, who must commute 25 miles through Canada to get to the rest of Washington state. “We really need that border open to survive,” said Tamra Hansen, who owns the Saltwater Cafe in Point Roberts. The economy still depends on the flow of people and resources to and from the border, which closed in March and will remain closed through at least Sept. 21, KING-TV reports. “I rely on approximately 90% of my business from the Canadians,” Hansen said. “And we make our money in the summer to get through the winter.” There is no regular ferry or air service to Point Roberts. There have been no confirmed coronavirus cases reported in the town.

West Virginia

Charleston: Gov. Jim Justice said Tuesday that marching bands will be allowed to perform at public school football games amid the coronavirus pandemic, reversing a governing body’s ruling from a day earlier. The Republican governor said the Secondary School Activities Commission’s earlier decision was made without his input. “As a coach and someone who is in our schools all the time, I appreciate how much our extracurricular activities, including our marching bands, mean to our students, parents, and communities,” Justice said in a statement. Justice said he directed medical experts to work with the SSAC and the state Department of Education to “go back to the drawing board to find a safe way for our marching bands to do what they love to do: perform.” The plan will require band members to maintain social distance while performing in stadiums on game days. Their families will be allowed to watch their performances.

Wisconsin

Madison: Election officials in the state’s two largest cities are expanding the use of absentee ballot drop boxes this fall as an influx of absentee ballots is expected and as fears mount about delays with mail. Milwaukee is installing 15 drop boxes across the city – three times as many as it had for the April election for state Supreme Court. Madison will have 14 of them. In both cities, officials say voters will be able to check an online portal the next day to confirm their ballots were received. A series of changes with the U.S. Postal Service has slowed mail just as election officials brace for a surge in absentee voting because of the coronavirus pandemic. The post office has cut overtime and taken sorting machines out of service in recent months, which Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has said was meant to save money. At least a dozen machines have reportedly been removed or targeted for removal in Milwaukee, Green Bay and Madison.

Wyoming

Casper: Lawmakers are again talking about raising the state’s tax on wind power and other renewable energy. Several previous attempts to raise the $1-per-megawatt hour wind generation tax enacted in 2012 have been unsuccessful. A higher tax would raise electricity costs and deter investment in renewable energy, opponents have said. The Joint Revenue Committee talked to Montana lawmakers Monday about their state’s electricity taxes and took public comment on the issue, the Casper Star-Tribune reports. “I’m not anti-wind or solar in this. I just think we need a fair deal,” said Sen. Cale Case, a Republican from Lander who has long supported higher taxes on wind power. Wyoming is struggling with sharply reduced revenue amid a downturn in coal, oil and natural gas production, three industries that largely support the state’s economy.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Busting Bundy, blaming students: News from around our 50 states