‘Corridor of death’, jumping worms, dolphin danger: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Birmingham: In what’s being touted as a major victory for clean water advocates, a Birmingham-based coal company has agreed to meet environmentalists’ demands and clean up an abandoned mine site on the Locust Fork tributary of the Black Warrior River. A consent decree signed last month by Drummond Co. Inc., a coal mining and processing company that dates back to 1935, and the Black Warrior Riverkeeper in U.S. District Court will require the company to remediate the long-shuttered Maxine Mine site near the town of Praco. The consent decree calls for elimination of the discharges of acid, sediment, and toxic, heavy metals, among other pollutants, that have been flowing into the Locust Fork for decades. “The rulings in this case and the consent decree itself are critical to protecting the Black Warrior River from harmful legacy impacts of coal mining, and set a precedent for polluters throughout the state,” said a news release from Barry Brock, senior attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center, which represented Black Warrior Riverkeeper in this case. The consent decree requires Drummond to pay $2.65 million in court costs and $1 million for a supplemental environmental project to mitigate the effects of past pollution, plus set aside funds to operate treatment systems for at least 30 years.

Alaska

Juneau: Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s office has entered a contract with a former Dunleavy aide for up to $50,000 in part to advise the administration on what legal fights to pursue against the federal government. The contract with Strategic Synergies LLC was signed in April and released by Dunleavy’s office last week. Brett Huber is listed on the contract as the firm’s sole owner. The contract period is for April 25 through Oct. 24. Alaska has long had a contentious relationship with the federal government over lands and resource development and other issues. The state has a history of pushing back in areas where it thinks the federal government is overreaching. Huber was Dunleavy’s campaign manager in 2018 and an aide to Dunleavy following the Republican’s election. Huber went on the manage an unsuccessful campaign in 2020 against a voter initiative that ends party primaries and institutes ranked choice voting for general elections. He was brought back to the administration last year as a senior policy advisor for “statehood defense.” Huber left work in state government April 2, said Patty Sullivan, a Dunleavy spokesperson. She said the position Huber held within the administration “has not been filled, and existing staff cannot perform the unique work.”

Arizona

Phoenix: Cities across metro Phoenix have partnered with the Salt River Project to figure out how best to increase water storage on the Verde River. In the long run, the partners want to offset the declining capacity of Horseshoe Reservoir by raising the height of the Bartlett Dam, which sits about 20 miles downstream, to store that amount of water and then some. The SRP and 20 partners are working with the federal Bureau of Reclamation on the effort. The partnership is kicking off a four-year study into the feasibility of modifying the Bartlett Dam. Congress authorized the study last year, after a two-year-long SRP and Reclamation appraisal study, the Arizona Capitol Times reports. Ron Klawitter, a senior principal at SRP, said accumulating sediment at Horseshoe Reservoir has led to the loss of more than 45,749 acre-feet of water storage, about one-third of the reservoir’s original capacity. An acre foot contains 325,851 gallons. Exploring how to address that loss, the feasibility study will look at the impacts of raising the height of the 287-foot Bartlett Dam by between 62 feet and 97 feet. If the dam were raised by 97 feet, that would increase its capacity to 628,000-acre feet from its current 178,186 acre-feet.

Arkansas

Huntsville: Ronnie Hawkins, a brash rockabilly star from Arkansas who became a patron of the Canadian music scene after moving north and recruiting a handful of local musicians later known as The Band, has died. His wife, Wanda, confirmed to The Canadian Press that Hawkins died Sunday morning after an illness. He was 87. “He went peacefully, and he looked as handsome as ever,” she said by telephone. Born just two days after Elvis Presley, the Huntsville native known to friends as “The Hawk” (he also nicknamed himself “The King of Rockabilly” and “Mr. Dynamo”) was a hell-raiser with a big jaw and a stocky build. He had minor hits in the 1950s with “Mary Lou” and “Odessa” and ran a club in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where acts included such early rock stars as Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Conway Twitty. Hawkins didn’t have the gifts of Presley or Perkins, but he did have ambition and an eye for talent. He first performed in Canada in the late ’50s and realized he would stand out far more in a country where homegrown rock still barely existed. Canadian musicians had often moved to the U.S. to advance their careers, but Hawkins was the rare American to try the reverse. With drummer and fellow Arkansan Levon Helm, Hawkins put together a Canadian backing group that became the Hawks, educated in the Hawkins school of rock. They hooked up with Bob Dylan in the mid-’60s and by the end of the decade were superstars on their own who had renamed themselves The Band.

California

Sacramento: The state could soon ban the declawing of cats solely for the convenience of humans. Legislators advanced a bill last week to halt what animal rights activists say is a painful procedure used primarily to prevent torn furniture and scratched skin. Claws on cats grow from the bone, not skin. Removing them sometimes requires amputating bones, while other procedures sever tendons to prevent a cat from extending its claws. Animal rights activists have long said declawing is inhumane when done solely for the benefit of humans, arguing the procedure is painful, leaves the animal defenseless and can cause other health problems. The American Veterinary Medical Association “discourages declawing as an elective procedure,” saying it is not medically necessary in most cases. But the association says it is sometimes needed “when a cat’s excessive or inappropriate scratching behavior causes an unacceptable risk of injury or remains destructive.” The bill that passed the Assembly on Thursday would ban declawing except for a medically necessary purpose of addressing a recurring infection, disease, injury or abnormal condition that affects the cat’s health. The California Veterinary Medical Association wrote in a letter to lawmakers that the veterinary industry has “appropriately regulated itself regarding this procedure over the years, and continues to do so in a thoughtful and compassionate manner.”

Colorado

Pueblo: Rescuers have recovered the body of a second victim after a boat carrying 13 people capsized on a lake over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. A Colorado Parks and Wildlife rescue team located the body Tuesday morning in 107 feet of water at Lake Pueblo State Park after an all-night search, the state agency said in a statement. The 11 others on the boat survived. The Pueblo County coroner plans to release the victim’s identity after next of kin are notified. The eight children and three adults were on the large, flat boat near a picnic area at Lake Pueblo State Park when witnesses reported high winds apparently overturned the boat Sunday evening. The second victim, 38-year-old Jessica Prindle, of the community of Pueblo West, died at the scene, the coroner’s office said. The survivors were treated for hyperthermia at hospitals, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a statement. Park manager Joe Stadterman said the accident “underscores the importance of being extremely careful around the water.” “If you are on or even near the water, we strongly urge you to wear a life jacket,” he said. Lake Pueblo is about 40 miles south of Colorado Springs.

Connecticut

Hartford: The practice of exchanging cannabis or cannabis-related products for donations or other purchases – known as “gifting” – could now carry a heavy price tag in the state. Under legislation signed last week by Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont, towns can fine residents up to $1,000 for gifting a cannabis plant or related products. The state also has the authority to issue $1,000 fines for not paying state sales taxes on the exchanges. Unregulated cannabis bazaars have cropped up around the state since the drug was legalized last year. Thousands of people have attended the events, often paying a fee to be admitted, and exchanged cannabis-related products for other items or received them along with the purchase of an item such as a T-shirt. The Connecticut Post reports cannabis advocates say the bill penalizes people for doing something that’s now legal in the state. The legislation’s supporters say it still allows friends and family to gift cannabis as long as no money is exchanged.

Delaware

Wilmington: The opening trial day in the criminal corruption case against the state auditor came to an abrupt halt Tuesday when the judge decided to give attorneys more time to consider issues raised by defense arguments that the indictment against Auditor Kathy McGuiness is defective. Judge William Carpenter Jr. ordered a halt to the proceedings after expressing concern about arguments made by defense attorney Steve Wood and the prosecution’s response to those arguments. Wood argued in a Wilmington courtroom that the indictment should be dismissed because it fails to allege where McGuiness’ supposed crimes occurred. Wood said venue regarding where an alleged offense occurred is among essential elements required by Delaware law in an indictment. McGuiness lives in Sussex County, and her office is in the capital, Dover, in Kent County, but prosecutors brought the case in New Castle County. “Nothing happened here,” said Wood, who rejected prosecution arguments that jurisdiction in New Castle County – or any county for that matter – is appropriate because McGuiness is a statewide elected official. Deputy Attorney General Maria Knoll argued the indictment is sufficient for trial because McGuiness serves all three counties, and her alleged crimes affected all three counties. The judge appeared skeptical of that argument.

District of Columbia

Washington: With signs in hand after traveling from afar, thousands of people made their way to see D.C.’s annual Memorial Day parade Monday afternoon – the first parade held since the pandemic began, WUSA-TV reports. Some families traveled from across the country to be in the city for the parade’s return and to pay a visit to monuments around town. Area bands were in full gear in the sweltering heat to honor the men and women who died in service to their country. Rick Johnson, a retired Marine who served for 22 years, said he hopes those who came out take time to understand the true meaning of the day. “We as Americans need to truly understand what being free is and what the American flag truly represents,” he said. A Virginia woman, who asked to only go by Marlene, said though she’s lived in Arlington for 20 years, this is the first time she was able to give her thanks in person and honor those who are no longer here. As the bands played familiar tunes, and veterans passed by, Chris Stockwell, an Army veteran, said he is thankful for those who chose America and choose it every day. “Not everybody goes out there and serves, but those that do, we need to show support for those people,” Stockwell said. “They go out there and give their all to this country.”

Florida

Tampa: Detectives have arrested an 18-year-old man after receiving a tip that he threatened a mass shooting at a school in a social media post. Corey Anderson’s post showed him with a handgun, a rifle and a tactical-style vest along with a caption that said: “Hey Siri, directions to the nearest school,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a news release. Anderson was arrested at his home near Tampa on Sunday and charged with a written or electronic threat to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism. “This type of threat is unacceptable. This man intentionally instilled fear into our community as a sick joke, but be warned, this is no laughing matter,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. The sheriff said his agency will “do everything within our power” to track down anyone who makes school threats. “Protecting our students is our greatest priority,” Chronister said in the release. “We take school threats very seriously, if you see something suspicious, please contact us immediately.” Deputies discovered that the weapons in the photo were airsoft guns, the news release said. Anderson was booked into jail and later released on bond, jail records show.

Georgia

Savannah: The district attorney of coastal Georgia’s largest county has become the latest prosecutor in the state to say she’ll generally stop prosecuting misdemeanor marijuana cases involving possession of less than an ounce of the drug. Like other prosecutors, police chiefs and sheriffs who have stopped marijuana enforcement, Chatham County District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones cited the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s refusal to test for small amounts of marijuana unless other felony charges are involved. “Without a verified test, the state cannot prove that the accused violated the law,” Jones said in a statement. She also cited Georgia’s 2019 law that made hemp farming illegal, saying it’s hard to tell the difference between legal hemp and illegal marijuana. The change began immediately. Officials in other jurisdictions including the Atlanta suburbs of Cobb, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties, as well as Athens-Clarke County and Augusta-Richmond County, have made similar announcements since 2019. “Disposing of low-level petty offenses that do not threaten public safety and do not involve a victim allows the state to focus already-limited resources on the serious cases that do,” Jones said.

Hawaii

Honolulu: The former head of the Hawaii National Guard has been chosen to be the city’s new police chief. The Honolulu Police Commission chose retired Army Maj. Gen. Arthur “Joe” Logan from among four finalists. Logan takes over from interim Chief Rade Vanic. Logan retired from the military in December 2019. Earlier in his career, he worked as a Honolulu police officer for 20 years. The department is still recovering from the 2019 conviction of former chief Louis Kealoha after he used his law enforcement power to frame his then-wife’s uncle for stealing their mailbox. He’s serving a seven-year federal prison sentence. His wife, a former city prosecutor, is serving 13 years. Logan said he was “just as surprised as anyone” by the decision, and his goal was to motivate, inspire and mentor people in the department. “I have to make myself available to the public to get their insights and answer their questions and concerns and show that the department ... is going to help them in what they would like in their community,” he told reporters after his selection. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi congratulated Logan and said building back public trust and restoring morale within the department need to be top priorities.

Idaho

Boise: Just under a third of the state’s registered voters cast ballots in the May 17 primary election, nearly matching the percentage that voted in the 2018 primary. Including new election-day voter registrations, 32.4% of registered voters cast ballots in the 2022 primary, the Idaho Press reports. That compares to 32.6% of registered voters who participated in the 2018 primary. In both of those primaries, there were hotly contested races for governor. Gubernatorial races normally guide turnout numbers, said former longtime Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa. “If you get a third, 33%, that’d be a great turnout. That’s a sad commentary on our process,” Ysursa said, “especially when the whole ballgame’s in the primary.” Idaho is a strongly Republican state, and so the primary election is generally a strong predictor of the general election outcomes. Voter turnout in the state’s primary has been stagnant or declining for years since peaking in 1972 with more than 58% of registered voters casting ballots. Turnout was high that year because it was the first time residents between the ages of 18 and 20 were allowed to vote. “That was a big deal,” said Andy Brunelle, a retired Forest Service employee who worked for the state and tracked voter turnout as an editor for the Idaho Blue Book for many years, starting in the late 1970s.

Illinois

Chicago: An attempted murder charge has been filed after an attack on the “Walking Man,” a 75-year-old homeless man who over years has become a recognized figure in downtown Chicago. Joseph Kromelis was badly burned while resting on Lower Wabash Avenue last Wednesday and might not survive, Assistant State’s Attorney Danny Hanichak said. A 27-year-old man charged with attempted murder and aggravated arson was denied bond during a court hearing Monday, the Chicago Tribune reports. “This defendant did not target someone he got in an argument with, someone who wronged him or someone that he even knew,” Hanichak said. “This defendant decided to target the most vulnerable person possible: a 75-year-old homeless man sleeping on the street.” The man told police he poured gasoline on blankets without knowing Kromelis was under them, the prosecutor said. Kromelis has been the subject of news stories and a documentary. He once told the Tribune he roams around downtown “as a way of life.” In 2016, Kromelis was attacked with a bat. A GoFundMe account raised more than $32,000, though it was unclear at the time if he wanted the money, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Indiana

Indianapolis: Dozens of St. Vincent Health and Ascension Health workers in the state who were suspended without pay for not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine are asking a federal court to open a class-action lawsuit. The 64 workers claim the hospital network discriminated against them because they objected to the vaccine on religious grounds. “Ascension Health established a coercive process calculated to force healthcare workers and staff to abandon their religious objections to the COVID-19 vaccination and receive the vaccination against their will,” the lawsuit said. Ascension Health owns St. Vincent Health. In July 2021 Ascension Health announced a requirement that its associates had to get the COVID-19 vaccination by November. There are roughly 14,700 associates in Indiana. Ascension Health said in a July release that “tens of thousands” of its workers had already been inoculated. “But we must do more to overcome this pandemic as we provide safe environments for those we serve,” the release said. Like other hospital networks in Indiana, St. Vincent Health allowed workers to get an exemption for religious beliefs or medical conditions. But the 64 workers who filed the lawsuit Friday say St. Vincent Health and its parent company “failed to individually and properly assess each application for religious exemption.”

Iowa

Des Moines: An invasive earthworm native to east Asia that was discovered in Iowa in 2018 has now spread to at least 11 counties. Officials in Dubuque and Muscatine counties were the first to report finding jumping worms, which are also known as crazy worms or Alabama jumpers due to their vigorous writhing and wriggling when disturbed. The snake-like worms can grow up to 8 inches long and are found amid leaf litter and closer to the soil surface than other earthworms commonly seen in Iowa. A map released in April by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach showed that the worms have now been found in Polk and Story counties, as well as Buchanan, Clayton, Jefferson, Johnson, Linn, Scott and Winneshiek. The ISU Extension website notes: “We assume jumping worms are much more widely spread than reports indicate.” ISU Extension said the worms, which have been infiltrating U.S. soil since the late 1800s, likely arrived in North America in potted plants, nursery stock or soil. They’re typically 3 to 5 inches long but are known to grow up to 8 inches. Jumping worms are darker and smoother than earthworms commonly found in Iowa. Identifiable characteristics include a cloudy-white and smooth narrow band; that band is raised on other earthworms. They do not produce an exterior layer of slime.

Kansas

Topeka: The recent bulldozing of a camp for homeless people has advocates arguing that Topeka should adopt more liberal policies modeled after ones in Kansas City, Missouri. Social worker Russell Burton and other advocates hope to raise the issue at the Topeka City Council’s meeting June 7, The Kansas City Star reports. Burton wants the city to require outreach workers to visit before a camp is bulldozed and to remain until city workers leave, something Kansas City mandates under a policy adopted in mid-April. He also wants to require the city to store people’s personal items for 60 days, as Kansas City does, twice the time set by Topeka’s policies. Topeka on May 10 razed an encampment just north of the Kansas River where more than a dozen people were living. Ken Saffer, a 57-year-old resident of the encampment on and off since 2017, said his belongings were confiscated, including clothing, tools and a generator. Others scrambled to collect medication and important documents. Spokesperson Gretchen Spiker said the city provided more than the required 72 hours notice before clearing the camp and followed its policies regarding belongings. She said the city “went above and beyond” to protect individuals’ constitutional rights.

Kentucky

Lexington: A new park that will allow public access to the Kentucky River is planned in Fayette County. The city plans to purchase 30 acres on the river near the Interstate 75 bridge into Madison County, Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton said in a statement. The city has signed an agreement, but the Urban County Council still needs to approve it. “This will provide new opportunities for recreation in Lexington. It will be a beautiful new park. And those who love kayaks and canoes will have a place to get onto the river and travel 12 miles between locks,” Gordon said. The $1.16 million cost for the property will come from fees developers pay to the city for the purpose of acquiring land for parks, officials said. Outdoor recreation has grown significantly in the past two years, and the park will establish a new kind of regional tourism with other river counties, said Mary Quinn Ramer, who is president of Lexington’s Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: State and local governments and educational institutions could not require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for entry into government facilities under legislation advanced by a state Senate committee Tuesday. The 4-2 vote sends the House-passed bill by Rep. Larry Bagley, R-Stonewall, to the full Senate. As it came out of the committee, the bill would subject any government or state-run educational institution to civil penalties if it requires COVID-19 vaccinations for entry. Backers say government entities shouldn’t be asking about a person’s health status. Opponents of the bill said they didn’t want local governments subjected to civil fines for trying to prevent the spread of the disease. The bill would not apply to government health care facilities that would risk losing federal funding under any federal requirements for vaccines. It passed the House last month on a 59-26 vote. If approved by the Senate, it would go back to the House for approval of Senate amendment. The deadline for final adjournment of the legislative session is Monday at 6 p.m.

Maine

Waterville: The Maine Attorney General’s Office has ruled that the fatal shooting of a man by police last year was justified. Waterville police responded in February 2021 to reports of Eric Porter, 32, armed with a knife and threatening people outside a hotel. The attorney general’s office said Friday in a report about the shooting that police ordered Porter to drop the knife and surrender when he charged at an officer with the weapon. Another officer shot and killed Porter, the attorney general’s report said. The report said officers tried using PepperBall launchers at Porter to no effect, and an electroshock weapon also didn’t subdue Porter because of his thick winter coat. Attorney General Aaron Frey wrote in the report that the officer who shot and killed Porter believed his colleague “would have been seriously injured or killed had he not shot Mr. Porter.”

Maryland

Hagerstown: Thanks to the preservation of an early 19th-century plat, residents can soon see for themselves how the town – founded by Jonathan Hager in the 1760s – began to blossom in the years after the American Revolution, the Herald-Mail reports. After nearly two years in the hands of an expert document conservator, the plat and other documents – including a rare copy of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s proclamation to Marylanders in the days preceding the Battle of Antietam – are finally home with the Washington County Historical Society. Plans are to keep the delicate originals stored and preserved but to display copies for everyone to see. “My best guess is the plat plan was generated in the early 1800s,” said society President Bill Maharay. “It descended through the Hager family; it’s on vellum, and it shows the development of Hagerstown through various growth patterns.” This plat shows where the town was expanding as it developed. “And it’s not done in an orderly fashion,” Maharay said. “What I find most interesting is the water source for the town was the stream that starts up over by where the post office is. It’s now all underground, but it shows that stream pattern. And then the area on North Potomac where it rises up past Franklin was called the ‘healthy’ part of town because of sanitation.”

Massachusetts

Boston: Firefighters battling a huge fire in the grandstand of a Boston horse racing track were hampered by a limited water supply and had to use thousands of feet of hose, officials said. There were no reports of injuries in the fire at Suffolk Downs that was reported about 10 p.m. Monday. The fire was knocked down by about 2 a.m. Tuesday, but crews remained on site to put out hot spots, the Boston Fire Department said in a tweet. Suffolk Downs, which first opened in 1935, has not had live racing since July 2019, but the grandstand remained open for simulcasting. The fire was first seen in the old press box on the roof, according to a statement from HYM Investment Group, which is redeveloping the site, but the cause remains under investigation. Boston firefighters were aided by several other area departments. The 161-acre site partially in Revere is being redeveloped into a mix of housing, retail, hotel, office and lab space. “The fire did not impact the area of Suffolk Downs currently under construction and redevelopment of the site remains ongoing,” HYM said in its statement.

Michigan

Detroit: Any summer plans for late-night scooting through downtown Detroit have been thwarted by a new curfew established by city officials. The curfew, first reported by Outlier Media, applies to rentable electric scooters in Detroit’s Central Business District, bordered by the John C. Lodge Freeway, Interstate 75, Interstate 375 and the Detroit River. In cooperation with scooter operators, scooters will be shut down in this area between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The curfew was announced by the Detroit Police Department during a press conference addressing summer safety efforts, including increased patrolling in Greektown and drag racing restrictions. Electric scooters operating in Detroit include Lime, Bird, Spin, LINK scooters operated by Superpedestrian and Boaz Bikes. During the curfew and within the designated area, enforcement by the operators varies, but some scooters will operate at reduced speeds or allow riders to finish their already activated trips. The city has not determined when the summer curfew will end, Outlier reports.

Minnesota

Minneapolis: The City Council has approved $1.2 million in legal settlements with two people injured by police during protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of officers two years ago. The settlements with St. Paul resident Virgil Lee Jackson Jr. and Nashville freelance photographer Linda Tirado mean the city has agreed to pay a total of $5.4 million to settle federal civil rights lawsuits over injuries caused by police in May 2020, Minnesota Public Radio reports. The City Council approved the two settlements Thursday. The council agreed to pay Jackson $645,000. His lawsuit said that a Minneapolis police officer repeatedly shocked him using a Taser’s “drive stun” mode, pressing the electrodes directly onto his skin. He was in a parking lot at the time. Tirado lost the sight in her left eye after an officer fired a rubber bullet while she covered protests outside a police station. The City Council agreed to pay her $600,000. Floyd, 46, who was Black, died after then-Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, pinned his knee on Floyd’s neck for 9¹/₂minutes as Floyd was handcuffed and pleaded that he couldn’t breathe. Chauvin was sentenced to 22¹/₂years in prison for murder and manslaughter.

Mississippi

Jackson: A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit accusing the state of using a discriminatory proof-of-citizenship requirement for some new voters under a law dating back to the Jim Crow era. The dismissal came weeks after Mississippi repealed a 1924 law that required naturalized citizens – but not people born in the U.S. – to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote. A new law enacted in its place has also drawn opposition but is being grudgingly accepted by voting rights groups who say it ultimately should protect naturalized citizens from being incorrectly marked as noncitizens when they register to vote. The secretary of state had been running names of potential new voters through a state Department of Public Safety database of people with Mississippi driver’s licenses and identification cards. Voting rights advocates said this practice disproportionately hurt people of color by flagging them as possible noncitizens. The new law says that if the public safety database raises questions about citizenship, the potential new voter’s name must be run through a federal immigration database. Groups that advocate for voting rights and immigrants’ rights said the federal database provides a safeguard to protect naturalized citizens from being incorrectly marked as noncitizens when they register to vote.

Missouri

St. Louis: A federal judge has ordered St. Louis County to pay $300,000 to two people who sued after police barged into their home six years ago with guns drawn and without a warrant. A final judgment in the case was entered Thursday against the county, ordering it to pay Jon Luer and Andrea Steinebach for damages stemming from the home intrusion, the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri said in a news release. The ACLU said Luer and Steinebach were awoken about 3 a.m. July 10, 2016, to find armed officers in their hallway searching for a suspect who had skipped out on cab fare. The two officers interrogated the couple’s teenage son and searched his room. The officers left after deciding he was not the suspect but did not file an incident report about their contact with the family, the ACLU said. “Our family is still haunted by the illegal middle-of-the-night invasion of our home by the very people that are supposed to protect us,” Steinebach said in a statement. Last year, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the family’s lawsuit could proceed, calling police actions in the case a “severe, warrantless intrusion.” A police spokeswoman referred questions to the St. Louis County Counselor’s Office, which did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.

Montana

Helena: The state’s top schools administrator has been cited in the case of a vehicle illegally passing a stopped school bus last month. Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen was cited Thursday after speaking with an officer, Helena Police Lt. Jayson Zander said. According to a police report, a school bus driver said a truck driven by Arntzen passed his bus while it was stopped to pick up children just after 7:30 a.m. May 19 in a Helena subdivision. The bus driver recognized Arntzen and recorded the license plate number on the red pickup truck, the police report said. A video of the incident reportedly “does not show the license plate of the vehicle involved,” Arntzen’s office said in a statement Friday. “Superintendent Arntzen does not recall the alleged incident,” Brian O’Leary, spokesman for the Office of Public Instruction, said in a statement Thursday. “She does acknowledge she drives a red pickup and lives in the area.” Montana’s 2021 Legislature passed a bill to improve bus safety after a student in northwestern Montana was hit and critically injured by a driver who passed a stopped bus in November 2019. Arntzen testified during a February 2021 legislative committee hearing in support of the bill, which doubled the fine for illegally passing a school bus to a maximum of $1,000.

Nebraska

Omaha: A large fire that raged through a chemical plant was extinguished by Tuesday morning, and nearby residents who were initially evacuated were allowed to return to their homes, authorities said. Thick smoke billowing from the Nox-Crete facility just southwest of downtown Omaha could be seen as far away Monday evening as the Elkhorn River, about 20 miles to the west. Battalion Chief Scott Fitzpatrick said the first call for help came shortly before 7 p.m. Monday, and firefighters who initially entered the building found a much bigger fire than they had anticipated, forcing them to retreat. Fire crews then fought the blaze from outside the building, noting the presence of chemicals and propane bottles inside. Explosions could be seen and heard as propane tanks ruptured. No injuries were reported from the fire or explosions. Officials said the smoke posed no major toxicity risks to the public. The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately known. According to its website, Nox-Crete makes a chemical coating and deactivator that keeps curing concrete from bonding to forms. It also makes liquid floor hardeners, joint fillers, curing and sealing compounds, and water repellents.

Nevada

Las Vegas: The federal Bureau of Land Management is collecting public comment until Wednesday on a big north-south electricity transmission project that Nevada’s main utility, NV Energy, says is a key to its plan for a statewide renewable energy network. The project, dubbed Greenlink West, would stretch about 350 miles to connect electricity facilities near Las Vegas in southern Nevada and Yerington in the north by the end of 2026. It would generally run parallel to and east of the California state line. Conservationists and protesters say they do not want to see that much public land disturbed, and members of a tribe adjacent to the route say the transmission lines would adversely affect culturally significant land. Barbara Durham, tribal historic preservation officer for the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, told the Las Vegas Sun that disturbed areas could include former village sites and areas where tribal ancestors found food and traded objects. Timbisha Shoshone homelands are in Nevada’s Nye, Mineral and Esmeralda counties and California’s Inyo, Kern, San Bernardino and Mono counties. “We would prefer that they go through already existing areas that have been disturbed,” Durham said. “No matter which way they go, they’re going to find the same thing.”

New Hampshire

Hampton: Fireworks shows at a popular beach were canceled for Memorial Day weekend and put on hold for several weeks because endangered piping plovers are nesting there. Local officials hope they can still have fireworks on the Fourth of July at Hampton Beach, which is close to the Massachusetts border. Hampton Beach Village District Chairman Chuck Rage said two nests were found on the beach. Piping plovers are endangered in New Hampshire and threatened nationally. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Endangered Wildlife Program has been monitoring and protecting breeding piping plovers and their habitat on the seacoast since 1997. The sighting of endangered piping plovers prompted officials to cancel fireworks shows at the beginning of the summer season at Hampton Beach last year, too. The small birds nest in the sandy dunes at Hampton and Seabrook beaches. The number of nests is expected to reach a new record in the state this year, with 16 in total, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. The fireworks shows will resume when the eggs hatch and the plovers abandon their nests on the beach, which could take about a month.

New Jersey

Newton: Paddlers who want to camp overnight along the Delaware River within a national recreation area must now have a reservation and pay a fee. An increase in visitors to the area who choose to stay overnight has prompted the move. The 62 primitive river campsites within Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area will cost $16 per site, per night. Starting in 2015, the park piloted a similar system for six of the sites known as Alosa. This new change brings all river campsites under that system. “Falling asleep and waking up at a primitive boat-in campsite along the banks of a nationally designated scenic and recreational river is a unique and special experience, particularly within one of the most densely populated areas of the country,” said Elizabeth Winslow, fee program manager. Because the Water Gap is part of the National Park Service, the recent announcement by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy that entrance fees at state parks are being lifted this summer does not apply. The Water Gap does not charge an entrance fee but does have several areas, such as boat launches and beaches, which have user fees. Winslow said there are several concerns about the primitive sites, such as flooding, resource protection and operational issues, that have reduced the number of official river campsites in the past 20 years.

New Mexico

Santa Fe: As nearly 3,000 firefighters in northern New Mexico continued to battle the nation’s largest active wildfire Monday, federal forest officials worried about future flash floods, landslides and destructive ash from the burn scar. The nearly 8-week-old fire was surrounded by containment lines cut and scraped around half of of its perimeter, enclosing 493 square miles of forested mountains and foothills east of Santa Fe. A Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response team has started publishing data from its post-fire assessments. Micah Kiesow, team leader and a soil and watershed program manager with the Santa Fe National Forest, said steep mountain slopes had acted like a sponge before the fire. “Post-fire in some of these areas, especially the high soil burn severity areas and the moderate, we’re looking at now a steep slope that’s more like a parking lot,” Kiesow told the Santa Fe New Mexican. He said that could signal an “extreme change in watershed response” during monsoon season. Flooding presents another problem for communities near burn scars with ash flowing into rivers and streams, according to Kiesow. Many water treatment facilities aren’t equipped for the expensive, time-intensive process of filtering ash. Experts say ash and debris can harm water quality with high levels of nitrates and phosphorus.

New York

Albany: A black bear wandered into the city, climbed a tree several blocks from the state Capitol and rested on branches about 30 feet off the ground Tuesday before workers tranquilized the animal and caught it in a net. The bear plunged into the net in the early afternoon after a state wildlife crew used a fire department ladder truck to get in close to immobilize the animal. The bear had climbed a towering pine tree on the edge of Washington Park in a residential neighborhood about a half-mile from the Capitol. The sprawling park is in the center of Albany, hemmed in by busy streets and surrounded by commercial strips and city neighborhoods of brownstones and single-family homes. Albany police tweeted out several pictures of bear in the tree, including one in which the animal looked like it was taking a nap. Police said the bear would be medically evaluated before being released into a forested area of the Catskills, south of the city. Police closed off the street off for a few hours as the state Department of Environmental Conservation crew worked to get the bear safely out of the tree.

North Carolina

Raleigh: Republican legislation that supporters argue would give parents more say over their children’s public schooling and health – but that critics say would intimidate and harm LGBTQ youth – headed to the state Senate floor after another affirmative committee vote Tuesday. The “Parents’ Bill of Rights” legislation includes a provision that would prevent instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in public school curricula for kindergarten through third grade. Schools would have to notify parents about changes to their child’s health and services that they are receiving, such as psychological treatment, or before they could change a child’s name or pronouns in records. LGBTQ activists likened these provisions to those in a Florida law opponents dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Several urged GOP lawmakers Tuesday to stop the measure, saying more young people would have their sexuality revealed against their will. Other youth will keep their sexuality hidden, increasing further the threat of suicide, opponents said. “This bill proposes forced outing of queer kids,” said the Rev. Vance Haywood, senior pastor of St. John’s Metropolitan Community Church in Raleigh. “It’s creating an environment where we’re telling folks that it’s not OK to be yourself. You have to hide parts of who you are.”

North Dakota

Bismarck: The longest-serving member of the state Senate declined to comment Tuesday on whether he’s the subject of an ongoing investigation following a report that he’d traded scores of text messages with a man jailed on child pornography charges. Republican Sen. Ray Holmberg had previously announced plans to resign Wednesday, six months before the end of his term. “There is a time,” Holmberg told the Associated Press on Tuesday when asked about why he was abruptly ending his 46-year career. Police and federal agents in Grand Forks seized video discs and other items from Holmberg’s home in November. “The rain will stop one of these days, and things will go on,” he said, declining to elaborate. Homberg said he planned on attending a luncheon with some current and former lawmakers Tuesday. He plans on turning in his state-issued computer and legislative credentials that include access to the state Capitol on Wednesday. Holmberg has been one of the Legislature’s most powerful lawmakers for decades, serving as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Four times, he chaired the Legislative Management committee, which decides committee assignments and chooses study topics that often inspire legislation.

Ohio

Columbus: Ohio students would have to take a self-defense class to graduate from high school if a bill introduced Tuesday by two Republicans in the state House becomes law. “Young women between the ages of 16-19 are the most vulnerable to be sexually assaulted,” Rep. Tom Young, R-Washington Township, said in a statement. “This training will also provide opportunity for development of relationships between students and their local law enforcement and school resource officers.” Called the Student Protection Act, House Bill 639 would require incoming freshmen in public and private schools to complete self-defense training as part of their health education starting in the 2023-2024 academic year. The instructors would have to be school resource officers or certified self-defense instructors. “Physical, emotional or sexual abuse and assault are never okay. These behaviors should never be tolerated or go unreported,” Rep. Andrea White, R-Kettering, said in a statement. “Reinforcing this message with our young people, while equipping them with defensive tactics and proactive strategies will help them protect themselves and avoid dangerous situations.” She added that self-defense training could also help students identify early signs and symptoms of mental health issues and potentially aggressive behavior in their peers. Young said the bill has been in the works for months, and the timing of its introduction soon after a mass shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas, was coincidental.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: The state’s cannabis regulator was busy last week working on final implementation of a “seed-to-sale” tracking system, the latest major update as it prepares to be reformed as a stand-alone agency this fall. The changes represent a watershed moment for the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority in its nearly four-year history. After launching in 2018, the agency struggled to keep up with the exploding industry that quickly boasted more dispensaries than any other state in the country and has been plagued with black market activity, while also supporting over 380,000 licensed cardholders who regularly purchase more than $64 million of medical cannabis products monthly. Now under the guidance of its fourth executive director, the agency continues to expand its personnel and oversight duties. Seed-to-sale, which went into effect Thursday, means every product sold to a consumer should theoretically be traceable back to its literal roots – a capability officials claim will create a safer and more legitimate industry. The marijuana authority’s independence from its current place in the state Health Department won’t happen until Nov. 1, but work is already happening to hire its own personnel to handle administrative positions, human resources and payroll.

Oregon

Oregon City: Officials in Clackamas County said Tuesday that they have finished duplicating the majority of primary election ballots that were rejected by vote-counting machines because of a printing error that resulted in blurred barcodes on tens of thousands of ballots. Elections officials were forced to transfer the voter’s intent from a spoiled ballot to a fresh one that could be read by the machines. The county will now focus on counting military and overseas ballots and processing ballots that need voter signature resolution, elections officials said in a news statement. Elections officials expect to finish tallying the vote by the end of the week and to certify all election results by June 13, the state’s deadline.

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia: On Roosevelt Boulevard, where 10% to 13% of the city’s traffic fatalities happened each year prior to the pandemic, plans to redesign the city’s “corridor of death” – as some residents and safety advocates call Roosevelt – could be gaining traction. Studies show Black communities have been hit even harder by a national surge in traffic fatalities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Roosevelt Boulevard is a chaotic, almost 14-mile maze that passes through some of the city’s most diverse neighborhoods and census tracts with the highest poverty rates. Driving can be dangerous, but biking or walking can be even worse, with some crosswalks longer than a football field and taking four light cycles to cross. “You would not design a street or a road like that today,” said Christopher Puchalsky, policy director for Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability. “It feels like an expressway, but it’s in the middle and between neighborhoods.” The city is hoping for federal money to begin a long-term, billion-dollar redesign of Roosevelt outlined in a study released in 2019, as well as to fund a series of smaller projects to improve safety at high-fatality stretches on the road by 2025.

Rhode Island

Providence: Gov. Dan McKee, the Rhode Island State Police and the state Department of Education have asked every school district to complete a comprehensive survey of potential emergency hazards. The effort, announced at the State House on Tuesday, is aimed at identifying potential school safety issues and addressing any necessary repairs or upgrades. Through the School Building Authority, the Department of Education will approve up to $500,000 in emergency funds for each district to make additional security upgrades. They will be reimbursed once the work is completed. Approximately $25 million is available statewide. McKee said the country is still processing the mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in which 19 children and two teachers were killed by a lone gunman. Since then, he said, there have been 12 new mass shootings across the nation. “No one thing alone will end gun violence,” McKee said. Limiting high-capacity magazines and banning assault weapons will help reduce that risk, he said. “The safety of our children must be the highest priority,” the Democrat said. Every school superintendent will conduct walkthroughs of buildings, including reviews of doors and windows, car access, landscape features, lighting, alarm and camera systems, and communications systems.

South Carolina

Columbia: With hurricane season officially starting Wednesday, state emergency officials want residents to prepare. Gov. Henry McMaster proclaimed Hurricane Preparedness Week began Sunday. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division is emphasizing this year that people know their evacuation zone, how to prepare their home to ride out a storm and what highways they need to take to evacuate with the slogan “Know Your Zone, Prepare Your Home, Remember Your Route.” Preparing a home not only includes checking hurricane shutters and roofs but also making sure to have the right kind and right amount of insurance, the agency said. And it’s not just coastal homes that need preparation. Recent hurricanes to hit South Carolina have brought massive floods inland and can also bring tornadoes and high winds well away from the coast. Health officials said residents should also make sure their COVID-19 boosters and vaccinations are up to date and include masks and other disease-fighting items in their hurricane kits in case they need to evacuate to areas where there is high spread of disease. Four hurricanes have directly or indirectly impacted South Carolina in the past six years. Meteorologists are predicting an above-average number of hurricanes and tropical storms this year.

South Dakota

Sioux Falls: Republican candidates in state House races are raking in unprecedented amounts of campaign cash ahead of next week’s primary election. And a handful of ultra-competitive contests in the Sioux Falls area are driving that trend. A review of campaign finance reports filed this week by dozens of state House candidates in legislative primary races statewide found that dozens have brought in tens of thousands of dollars ahead of the June 7 election. And of the 10 candidates reporting the highest fundraising totals, more than half are seeking office in Sioux Falls or the surrounding area. Three of the top seven fundraisers come from a single contest that could tip the scales in an intra-party power struggled that’s pitted two factions of the state GOP against each other.

Tennessee

Memphis: After years of a stalemate, the Shelby County Commission is once again poised to consider funding new voting machines. County commissioners have in the past voted down a similar arrangement, voicing support for hand-marked paper ballots over ballot marking devices. If approved, the agreement would spend $5.8 million on new machines from vendor Election Systems & Software LLC, known as ES&S, having the equipment fully operational by the August 2022 general election; $2.4 million of those funds would be reimbursable by the State of Tennessee. “We are at risk for the election that’s coming up in August, so that’s why we’re trying to move forward with having a process by which hopefully having this new equipment will achieve the outcome that it’s intended for,” said Shelby County Commission Chairman Willie Brooks Jr. Voters would then be able to choose at the polls between a paper ballot and an electronic ballot. The ballot marking machines will not allow voters to overvote and are accessible for voters with disabilities. The machine used to count votes can tabulate both printouts from the ballot marking machines and paper ballots that have been filled out by hand. It will also catch if someone has overvoted on a paper ballot, asking the voter if they want to move forward.

Texas

Corpus Christi: Officials are warning beachgoers to stay away from an overly friendly dolphin off North Padre Island. The marine mammal has gotten a bit pushy in the water off the island about 20 miles east of Corpus Christi, according to a press release from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Biologists report the animal is showing more aggressive behavior, separating children from their parents in the water, and isolating swimming pets from their owners,” the release said. The problem is that people have been feeding, swimming and playing with the dolphin for more than a year despite warnings from biologists, law enforcement and residents to stay away from it, according to the release. It said the dolphin “has become so used to humans that it now seeks out people, boats, and any form of interaction.” The mammal also has wounds caused by boats, and there are concerns about its safety, officials said. People are being asked to leave the dolphin alone. Boaters are asked to avoid stopping if the dolphin comes too close and to slowly move away. Swimmers are being asked to leave the water if they see the dolphin, the release said. “While the dolphin may seem friendly, this is a wild animal with unpredictable behavior,” according to NOAA.

Utah

Monument Valley: Federal officials signed an agreement with leaders of the Navajo Nation on Friday that provides funding for clean drinking water infrastructure for reservation residents and resolves questions about long-standing Navajo claims to water rights in the drought-stricken U.S. West. The signing formalizes the Utah Navajo Water Rights Settlement, which became law in 2020 as part of President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure bill. As part of the agreement, the federal government will pay the Navajo Nation $210 million for drinking water infrastructure in San Juan County – the part of the 27,000-square-mile reservation that lies in Utah. Many Navajo homes lack running water. Residents often fill containers at public taps or rely on water deliveries from volunteer organizations. Utah, which was also party to the agreement, will pay the Navajo $8 million as part of the settlement. “We had two real problems in our state. One was the Navajo Nation had claims to the Colorado (River) that would impair Utah’s water rights,” U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney told The Salt Lake Tribune. “The other concern we had was about half the Navajo Nation residents (in Utah) didn’t have running water.” The settlement also quantifies the Navajo Nation’s water rights, quelling Utah’s anxieties.

Vermont

Burlington: The Vermont City Marathon and Relay returned to the city Sunday, after being canceled or shortened the past three years amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The race started at Battery Park. To prevent a crowded start, there were waves of marathoners taking off at different times, and they looped the half-marathon course twice. More than 2,300 runners signed up for the marathon, while 11 people were expected to participate in the handcycle competition. In the relay, a total of 550 two-person teams and 434 squads of three to five people signed up. Veteran handcyclist Alicia Dana of Putney, Vermont, was first across the finish line, and Sergio Reyes, 40, followed as the first marathoner to complete the course. The Palmdale, California, resident also won the men’s race in 2019. Annemarie Tuxbury, 28, a native Rhode Islander, won the women’s race.

Virginia

Richmond: Authorities said two women were missing Tuesday after a group of people in rafts and on paddleboards went over the Bosher Dam on the James River a day earlier. WWBT-TV reports 12 people were involved in the accident Monday afternoon. WAVY-TV reports the dam has a 12-foot drop, and water levels have been high. Images of the search show the river seemingly placid above the dam but roiling below, with some of the group’s paddleboards and inflatable rafts caught in the currents below the rush of water. One of them managed to reach a nearby house for help. Assistant Fire Chief Jeffrey Segal said kayakers in the area helped to rescue nine more. But Segal said two women were unaccounted for despite a very thorough search. Crews searched for the two women until dusk, and the search resumed Tuesday morning, Henrico County police said in a news release. Police said they have worked with friends and families of Lauren E. Winstead, 23, of Henrico County, and Sarah E. Erway, 28, of Chesterfield County, listing them as missing. Police warned that the river is at dangerous levels in some areas and that anyone entering the river should be extremely cautious.

Washington

Spokane: A cougar attacked a 9-year-old girl who was playing hide-and-seek at a church camp, seriously wounding her and sending her friends running in fear. Lily A. Kryzhanivskyy and two other children were playing in the woods Saturday at the camp near the small town of Fruitland, northwest of Spokane. Lily jumped out to surprise her friends when the cougar attacked, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said. Adults rushed to help and found the girl covered in blood. She was airlifted to a hospital, where she had surgery for multiple wounds to her head and upper body. Lily was released from the intensive care unit Monday and remained hospitalized in stable condition, the department said Tuesday. Following the attack, adults staying at the church camp found the young male cougar and killed it. “We are extremely thankful for this little girl’s resiliency, and we’re impressed with her spunk in the face of this unfortunate encounter,” Fish and Wildlife Police Capt. Mike Sprecher said. “It happened fast, and we are thankful that the adults at the camp responded so quickly.” Tests completed over the weekend showed the animal did not have rabies, the agency said. Cougar attacks on humans are rare. There have been just two fatal attacks on humans in Washington state in the past 100 years.

West Virginia

Alum Creek: Guided hikes, exhibits and interactive programming will greet guests during the weekend’s grand opening of the Claudia L. Workman Wildlife Education Center, officials said. The event Saturday is being hosted by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and the Forks of Coal State Natural Area Foundation. Those who attend the free event in Alum Creek can tour the 9,500-square-foot building, explore the 102-acre property and attend shows presented by the West Virginia Raptor Rehab Center, the Division of Natural Resources said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to having everyone come out and experience all that we have to offer, including ‘Touch a Snake’ and ‘Bird ID’ activities,” said Ashley Anderson, the agency’s park activities coordinator. The opening fulfills the vision of the center’s namesake, Claudia Workman, whose husband donated the land in 2015 so a nature-based education center could be built. The center has five main areas that include an introduction to Forks of Coal State Natural Area, an aquarium and reptile exhibit, a wildlife management area, a habitat management area and a wildlife observation area. It will be open Tuesday through Saturday beginning June 7.

Wisconsin

Oshkosh: The judge presiding over a case involving a violent altercation in a Wisconsin high school postponed the trial after defense attorneys argued that public sentiment related to the school shootings in Texas could taint the jury pool. Grant Fuhrman, accused of stabbing a high school resource officer multiple times with a barbecue fork in Oshkosh in 2019, is charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. The 19-year-old man has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. During a struggle, the officer shot the then-16-year-old student. Neither of them was seriously injured, and the officer was cleared of wrongdoing. Fuhrman’s attorneys filed a motion to delay last week, four days after an 18-year-old entered an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and fatally shot 19 children and two teachers. The defense said their client could not get a fair trial in the current environment. The request said the Texas case would have been on the minds of every potential juror if the interview process had started Tuesday as scheduled. “The length of time between the outside influence and the trial is critical. Here that time frame is mere days,” the motion said. Judge Daniel Bissett granted the delay and scheduled a status hearing for July 7.

Wyoming

Casper: A record haul in super PAC spending has poured into the race for the state’s sole U.S. House seat this year, the Casper Star-Tribune reports. More than $1 million has been reported to federal officials in such spending, with much of it aimed at unseating Rep. Liz Cheney, who angered many other Republicans with her stance against ex-President Donald Trump for his role in the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The spending total by independent expenditure-only political committees has already more than doubled Wyoming’s previous record, according to the newspaper.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ‘Corridor of death’, jumping worms: News from around our 50 states