Fentanyl fearmongering, Evel Knievel, free schoolhouse: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Montgomery: The state is racing toward coronavirus numbers it last saw at the peak of the pandemic, with more than 2,100 COVID-19 patients in state hospitals Monday and only 6% of intensive care unit beds available, a medical official said. Medical officials have said low vaccination rates and the highly contagious delta variant have combined to cause an explosion of cases. “It’s like the California wildfires. We have the perfect environment,” said Dr. Don Williamson, Alabama’s former state health officer who now heads the Alabama Hospital Association. The 2,134 hospitalized COVID-19 patients Monday included 33 children, according to numbers provided by the association. Nearly one-third of those patients, or 628, were in intensive care units and 318 on ventilators. Williamson said 42% of intensive care unit beds in the state were occupied by someone with COVID-19. The current hospitalization number of 2,134 is lower than the little more than 3,000 recorded at the peak of the pandemic in January. However, health officials have expressed concern about the steep upward trend. A month ago, there were 247 virus patients in state hospitals, according to numbers compiled from the Alabama Department of Public Health. “It’s filling up faster, and there is no end in sight,” Williamson said.

Alaska

Anchorage: The superintendent of the state’s largest school district says she has no intention to reexamine a policy requiring students and staff to wear masks indoors even though the new mayor has urged the district to “immediately reconsider” the plan. “Having schools open and students learning and engaging with peers is of the highest priority to me,” Superintendent Deena Bishop said in a statement Monday. She said that according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, “properly masked students will not be required to quarantine if deemed a close contact.” Mayor Dave Bronson, who took office July 1, has opposed COVID-19 restrictions and mask mandates, and criticizing the city’s previous restrictions was a central part of his mayoral campaign platform, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Bronson said in a social media post last Friday that he is against “mandates masking our residents and children.” “Anchorage residents should be free to make their own decisions about their health care, about their families, and about their children’s education,” Bronson said. “Therefore, I strongly oppose the Anchorage School District’s back to school mask mandate and strongly encourage them to immediately reconsider.”

Arizona

Phoenix: University of Arizona President Dr. Robert C. Robbins on Monday criticized actions by the Legislature and the governor that limited the school’s power to combat COVID-19 on campus. “The ideal would be that we could require everyone to be vaccinated, we could require everyone to cover their face, we could require many things that other places are doing, but we cannot do (that) here because of state law,” Robbins said during a briefing on the school’s fall reopening plans. When Gov. Doug Ducey first signed an executive order banning mask and vaccine mandates at public universities June 15, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, UA and the Arizona Board of Regents who oversee the state’s public university system, all said they would comply with governor’s directive. Later, those provisions were put into law as part of the budget. While some elementary and high school districts are defying those provisions, Arizona’s public universities are so far abiding by them. Referring to the mandate restrictions, Robbins said: “It’s removed some of the tools that would be effective in mitigating and fighting this virus.” Still, Robbins said classes at UA that are scheduled to begin in two weeks will go on as planned even as the delta variant causes case numbers to rise throughout the state.

Arkansas

Little Rock: A federal appeals court revived a legal challenge Monday to an Arkansas law that farm organizations have used to shield themselves from undercover investigations by animal rights groups. A three-judge panel of the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court’s decision to dismiss the lawsuit. The Animal Legal Defense Fund and other animal rights organizations filed the suit in 2019 against Republican state Rep. DeAnn Vaught and her husband, who own a pig farm, and Peco Foods, an Alabama-based poultry farm with Arkansas facilities. Vaught also sponsored the 2017 law. The suit argues that the law, which bars undercover investigations at private businesses like large farms, violates the First Amendment by banning a form of speech. So-called ag-gag laws have been approved by legislatures in states with animal agriculture industries. A federal judge last year said the groups hadn’t shown they have suffered an actual injury because of the law. The Animal Legal Defense Fund and another plaintiff in the suit, Animal Equality, said they have plans to conduct undercover investigations of Peco’s facilities and the Vaughts’ pig farm but have refrained from doing so due to the law.

California

San Diego: A public safety video that told viewers a deputy had a near-death experience after being exposed to fentanyl used actual footage, the San Diego Sheriff’s department said Monday after critics questioned the deputy’s severe reaction. The unedited body-worn camera footage will be released within the week. The deputy was 6 inches from the powder July 3 while processing drugs at an arrest, according to an incident report from authorities. The dramatic, four-minute video drew criticism from health experts across the country after the sheriff’s department released it Thursday, questioning the deputy’s severe reaction and accusing Sheriff Bill Gore of fueling public misunderstanding. The Drug Policy Alliance, which advocates for decriminalization and safe drug use policies, called the video irresponsible. “Content like this simply creates more fear and irrational panic that fuels further punitive responses to the overdose crisis, instead of the public health approach we need,” said Kassandra Frederique, the group’s executive director. The American College of Medical Toxicology and the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology said in a joint statement in 2017 that the risk of significant exposure to fentanyl is “extremely low” for emergency responders: “Toxicity cannot occur from simply being in proximity to the drug.”

Colorado

Denver: State officials are investigating a county election office after passwords for its voting systems were posted online, the secretary of state announced Monday. The breach included specific passwords from Mesa County’s voting equipment, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a statement. The passwords were posted on a far-right blog, according to a spokesperson from Griswold’s office. She called it a “a serious breach” in a statement but said it did not happen during the past election or create any risk to state elections. It is likely that the passwords were collected during software updates to voting equipment in Mesa County on May 25, 2021, Griswold said. Officials have asked to inspect the county’s election equipment and other relevant materials from the county clerk and recorder. If violations are found, it could lead to a decertification of the county’s voting machines. Mesa County is a mostly rural county in western Colorado that includes the city of Grand Junction. State Republicans called for an audit into Dominion Voting Systems after the 2020 election, but elections officials have repeatedly denounced statements questioning Colorado’s election integrity, and Dominion has refuted claims about any deleted or changed votes.

Connecticut

Hartford: Hartford and Stamford are mandating indoor mask-wearing amid another coronavirus surge fueled by the delta variant, city officials said Tuesday. Hartford’s requirement took effect at midnight Tuesday, and Stamford’s will begin at 8 a.m. Thursday, the mayors of both cities said. New Haven became the first city in Connecticut to mandate masks in indoor spaces Monday, after Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont granted municipalities the authority to require masks. Lamont has not reimposed statewide mask requirements. Hartford’s rules will apply to anyone indoors in the city with exceptions for medical conditions, children under 2, people eating or drinking, and office spaces where work spaces are separated by partitions. Stamford will require mask-wearing at all indoor retail and public spaces regardless of vaccination status, as well as outdoor gatherings of more than 100 people at city-owned properties including parks, with similar exceptions. On Monday, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Connecticut rose above 200 for the first time since early May. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in the state has risen over the past two weeks from about 220 on July 25 to about 540 on Sunday.

Delaware

Wilmington: Nearly a year and a half after businesses first started closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people across the state are still struggling to get the unemployment benefits they are due. Reports of fraudulent activity on unemployment claims have swamped the Delaware Labor Department over the past few months, and as a result legitimate applicants are being affected. It’s led to many people’s payments freezing as the department tries to get a hold over the phenomenon. The agency could not confirm how many people’s claims have been put on hold due to attempted fraud. But many of the people still on unemployment aren’t able to wait for the money, especially as pandemic-era government assistance programs such as an eviction moratorium begin to expire and the delta variant of the coronavirus poses a new chapter of economic uncertainty. “It couldn’t come at a worse time,” said Division of Unemployment Director Darryl Scott. Over the past year and a half, the unemployment process has been nothing short of a nightmare for many people in Delaware. The department processed more than 175,000 claims in 2020 compared to about 32,000 in 2019, overwhelming the small unemployment office with thousands of claims a week. Many were forced to wait weeks to months to see even a penny.

District of Columbia

Washington: Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Tuesday that district government employees, including public school teachers, will be required to get COVID-19 vaccines or submit to weekly coronavirus testing, WUSA-TV reports. D.C. government employees will have until Sept. 19 to be fully vaccinated, Bowser said. Unvaccinated employees who qualify for a health or religious exemption or who choose not to be vaccinated will be required to take a weekly virus test. If they do not comply with the new policy, they will be subject to job penalities. About 54% of the 36,700 people employed by the D.C. government have already reported their COVID-19 status, Bowser said. The mayor, who spoke Tuesday alongside D.C. health officials and labor union representatives, clarified that the policy applies to all employees who work in agencies that report to her but highly encouraged all independent agencies to adopt the same vaccine requirement. D.C. government employees have been back in the office since July 11, Bowser said. And the city has been under an indoor mask mandate for everyone over the age of 2, regardless of vaccination status, since July 31. As of Tuesday, the district had “substantial” transmission of the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Florida

Fort Lauderdale: The state’s higher-speed passenger rail service Brightline announced Tuesday that it will resume operating sometime in November, 20 months after it closed because of the pandemic and with safety measures that it hopes will curb a spate of fatal collisions that plagued its initial run. The privately run company, which began operations in 2017, will resume with hourly service between Miami and West Palm Beach, president Patrick Goddard said. Goddard said Brightline will require all employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 and, following federal regulations, mandate masks for crew and passengers inside its trains and stations. “We have learned a lot about how to live and travel in the pandemic. We now believe we are ready to open in a safe and healthy way,” Goddard said. Brightline suspended operations in March 2020 but continued laying track for its planned expansion from South Florida to Orlando and its theme parks. That route is set to open in late 2022 or early 2023. Goddard said Brightline will have spent $5 billion on its system when the Orlando leg is complete. Brightline then plans to open a line between Orlando and Tampa and one between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. When it reopens, Brightline will offer private and ride-share transportation to take passengers from their homes, offices and hotels to the station.

Georgia

Pelham: Residents say the local government isn’t doing enough to maintain a historically Black cemetery, but city leaders say they’re legally limited in upkeep because the city doesn’t own the property. Resident William Jeffalmond Jr. told WALB-TV that some graves in Pelham’s Liberia Cemetery are caving in, full of water and overgrown. “The ones I had to uncover, clearly over 100 graves I had to weed just so it could be identified,” Jeffalmond said. He said he used to work at the cemetery as a public works supervisor for Pelham. City Manager Craig Bennett said the cemetery was developed by Black churches and maintained by them for many years. In 2011, the city agreed to maintain the grounds, mowing the grass and cutting back vegetation. But Bennett said individual families own the plots, and the city doesn’t have the legal right to maintain crypts and gravestones. Bennett said the city is talking to the state and the Georgia Municipal Cemetery Association about what else it might be able to do.

Hawaii

Honolulu: The majority of the state’s roads and bridges are threatened by natural hazards and climate change, according to a state Department of Transportation report. The report says nearly 60% of the state’s roads and over 75% of its bridges are in danger of impacts from landslides, coastal erosion, sea level rise, storm surges, tsunamis and wildfires, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports. The Hawaii Highways Climate Adaptation Action Plan identifies vulnerable areas and recommends solutions. Officials used historical data and climate projections to assess more than 900 miles of state-owned roads, including nearly 400 bridges and six tunnels. It is a “first step to act comprehensively across the agency in recognizing and considering more fully these changing climatic conditions,” Department of Transportation Deputy Director for Highways Ed Sniffen said a statement. Sniffen said the state “needs to be more resilient, adaptive, and engaged in climate change risks to our highway network.” Officials said rockfalls and landslides are a major concern, threatening 17% of roads, 32% of bridges, 15% of culverts, and all six of the state’s tunnels.

Idaho

Boise: The state is facing unprecedented drought despite getting normal snow levels last winter, and water managers warn the state could be entering a multiyear drought. “Idaho is in the midst of a drought that is unprecedented in recent memory, mostly due to an exceptionally dry spring followed by a summer heat wave,” David Hoekema, hydrologist for the Idaho Department of Water Resources, wrote in a new analysis for the department, the Idaho Press reports. “Without a snowpack that is significantly greater than normal next winter, Idaho could be seeing several years with limited water supply.” Few saw this coming, as Idaho began the year with normal snowfall in the mountains, though temperatures were above normal every month but February. Then came a dry spring, followed by a blistering-hot summer. The state’s basins all experienced the hottest June and July on record, Hoekema said. “With storage being rapidly depleted across the state, concern is rising that we may be entering into a multiyear drought,” he said. Still, it’s not the driest year on record in Idaho. Hoekema said that came in 1977, which became known as “the year without snow.” Historically, Idaho’s drought years have followed winters with poor snowpack levels.

Illinois

Springfield: The Illinois State Fair begins Thursday, but among several new features this year will be an unwelcome one: COVID-19. With face mask and vaccination resistance simmering, the more transmissible delta coronavirus variant spreading, and a marked increase in cases of the disease that forced cancellation of last year’s fair, organizers of the 168-year-old tradition are emphasizing safety measures to thwart transmission of the persistent and potentially deadly virus. Six sites will offer free COVID-19 vaccinations during the fair’s run, through Aug. 22. But regardless of vaccination status, face coverings will be required indoors and at Grandstand performances, as recommended by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II said. And face masks will be encouraged when in a large crowd, such as at the kickoff Twilight Parade. A safe fair brings with it other more congenial attractions making debuts, including the Jetpack Flying Water Circus, in which acrobats perform 40 feet above a swimming pool, and the Dino-ROAR! exhibition, featuring live-action dinosaurs, including a growing T. Rex, strutting in an educational program. The World of Wonders is a “throwback to the old circus days with the sword swallowers, fire breathers and escape artists,” state fair manager Kevin Gordon said.

Indiana

Indianapolis: State officials have lifted a moratorium on feeding birds in 76 counties as an investigation continues into how songbirds are dying. But people in Allen, Carroll, Clark, Floyd, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Lake, Marion, Monroe, Morgan, Porter, St. Joseph, Tippecanoe and Whitley counties still should not feed birds, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources said Monday. The moratorium was recommended June 25 “to slow the spread of a still-undetermined illness that is killing birds across the state,” the DNR said in a release. “Based on the data, it appears that the bird illness is consistently affecting specific areas,” the DNR said. “There is no imminent threat to people, the population of specific bird species, or to the overall population of birds in Indiana.” Wildlife managers and veterinarians first received reports in late April and May of sick birds in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and Washington, D.C. In addition to Indiana, other reports have come from Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Ohio. In Indiana, the sick songbirds were initially found in late May in southern Indiana’s Monroe County. The main visible symptoms are swollen eyes or crusty discharge around the eyes, as well as off-balance movements that may indicate neurological damage.

Iowa

Des Moines: The state has tossed out tens of thousands of expired COVID-19 vaccine doses and could toss out hundreds of thousands more if demand for the vaccine continues to lag, health officials said. Iowa Department of Public Health spokeswoman Sarah Ekstrand said Monday that the state has tossed more than 81,000 doses. “It’s so sad that we’re throwing away so many doses when we know the vaccine works,” said Rachel Reimer, chair of the Department of Public Health at Des Moines University, adding that millions of people in other countries are desperate to get the vaccine. “And we literally cannot give it away.” Federal officials have said states can’t return unused vaccines to the manufacturers or donate them to other states or countries, Ekstrand said. “We have exhausted all options prior to vaccine expiring,” she said in an email. The department warned last month that the state might have to discard about 217,000 doses by the end of August unless demand picked up. Health officials said they’ve seen a bump in demand for the vaccine recently, as coronavirus cases have surged over the summer. But demand is still far below what it was in April, when the shots first became available.

Kansas

The Evel Knievel Museum is reportedly being moved to Las Vegas.
The Evel Knievel Museum is reportedly being moved to Las Vegas.

Topeka: It appears the Evel Knievel Museum will be jumping out of the city. A Las Vegas newspaper reports the museum dedicated to the career of Robert Craig Knievel, who became known for his death-defying stunts and tricks on motorbikes, will move to the Las Vegas Arts District. Amanda Beach, the museum’s marketing director in Topeka, said Tuesday that the report was “a bit premature” but that the deal was “imminent.” The museum opened in Topeka in 2017. If the deal is finalized, the Topeka team would install and operate the museum in Las Vegas. The move is not going to happen immediately and could take a couple of years. “This museum deserves to be in a tourism destination, and I don’t think anyone would question that Las Vegas makes the most sense for the Evel Knievel Museum to be there with Evel’s history in that city,” Beach said. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports developer J Dapper said Monday that he would work with landlord Jonathan Kermani to move the museum.

Kentucky

Barrels of bourbon are stacked at the Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, Ky.
Barrels of bourbon are stacked at the Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, Ky.

Clermont: Bourbon producer Jim Beam has achieved a pandemic-era production milestone by filling 1 million barrels during the COVID-19 outbreak. Production at the James B. Beam Distilling Co. is accelerating in response to growing demand, and last week it celebrated filling its 17 millionth barrel of bourbon since Prohibition, the company said. The 1 million barrel production milestone during the coronavirus outbreak holds “special significance” because it was accomplished despite disruptions and new protocols to protect employees, the spirits industry giant said. “Throughout this pandemic, our incredible teams kept coming in to work every day, to make the bourbon that consumers around the world are going to enjoy in about four years,” said Freddie Noe, the eighth-generation Beam distiller. “They adjusted to new workplace protocols that kept them, their colleagues and our operations safe – and they did this while caring for loved ones at home.” Bourbon ages for years before reaching consumers.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: The state’s top higher education board on Tuesday enacted the rules governing how college campuses must respond to and report sexual misconduct and harassment complaints, with training for school administrators scheduled for next week. The regulations adopted by the Board of Regents stem from new laws passed by the Legislature in response to a searing independent report that documented years of Louisiana State University’s mishandling of student allegations of rape, assault and abuse covered under federal Title IX laws. Lawmakers enacted several measures spelling out who is required to report “power-based violence” allegations and what steps must be followed for dealing with any claims. The Board of Regents rules detail how those requirements work for campuses, set reporting deadlines and issue training mandates – regulations that board members enacted more quickly than the law required. “We felt it was critical to have the new policy in place before our campuses reopen for the fall semester in the next few weeks. And while the law prescribed a January deadline for having these new policies in place, we have training scheduled for next week,” said board Chairman Blake David. “There’s no time to waste when it comes to protecting our students.”

Maine

Meddybemps: The state plans to transfer ownership of a culturally significant parcel of land back to the Passamaquoddy tribe. The land is a 3.2-acre waterfront parcel located in the Washington County town of Meddybemps. Members of the tribe refer to the land as N’tolonapemk, which means “our relatives’ place.” Rena Newell of Sipayik, the state representative for the Passamaquoddy tribe, led a ceremony commemorating the return of the land to the tribe earlier this month. Newell said the transfer of the land is a significant moment for the tribe. The land is located on Passamaquoddy ancestral lands and was used for travel by canoe for millennia. Democratic House Speaker Ryan Fecteau called the transfer of land the “beginning of the work to realize tribal sovereignty and right wrongs.”

Maryland

Baltimore: Members of the state’s congressional delegation are asking for more federal resources to fight crime in Baltimore. They made the request in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday, saying while Baltimore has high crime rates, federal law enforcement levels are “significantly smaller than those located in neighboring jurisdictions.” U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen signed the letter, along with Reps. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes and Kweisi Mfume. They did not cite specific figures regarding staffing levels but said Washington, D.C., has a “significantly larger” number of federal agents investigating violent crime. In addition to asking for a reevaluation of federal staffing resources, the Democratic officials asked specifically for 10 additional Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents, 15 more U.S. Marshals, five new assistant U.S. attorneys, additional grants and other resources. The request follows a meeting last month among members of the delegation and Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison and Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner.

Massachusetts

Boston: Runners at this weekend’s Falmouth Road Race will be required to wear surgical masks at the starting line, although they will be allowed to remove them while on the 7-mile course, race organizers said. The starting-line masks are among several precautionary measures organizers are using to stem the potential spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus as the race resumes after a one-year hiatus because of the pandemic. “We’ve taken extra steps to keep people safe,” said Dr. John Jardine, the race’s medical program coordinator. On the course, runners are being asked to avoid running in packs and to maintain a 3-foot distance between individuals. Masks will also be required in most indoor areas, including buses that take runners to Woods Hole, as well as medical tents. Water station volunteers will wear gloves. There will also be no finish-line gathering. This year’s race, scheduled for Sunday, has 8,000 registered runners, down from the typical 12,800 participants.

Michigan

Wendy Greer, of St. Clair Township, stands outside the former Pink School House in Columbus Township, Mich., where her grandmother Freeda Cody-Dewey once taught.
Wendy Greer, of St. Clair Township, stands outside the former Pink School House in Columbus Township, Mich., where her grandmother Freeda Cody-Dewey once taught.

Columbus Township: A piece of St. Clair County history is searching for a new home. Residents may recognize an old schoolhouse at Gratiot Avenue and Palms Road sporting a new sign: “Preserve history by saving the Pink School House. Free to a good home.” The schoolhouse has served as the front office for Superior Heating & Cooling Inc. since 1995, when owner Pete Cervini purchased the building with business partner Tim Grace. “We were looking for some space ... this building was vacant,” Cervini said. “It looked like a nice location; the price was right.” He said the building had been vacant for a while, and locals were happy to see it being used, asking to come inside and look around. When Cervini acquired the abandoned schoolhouse, the desks, chalkboards and an old gravity furnace were still in the building. While the old wooden desks and chairs were donated, the chalkboards are still there, Cervini said. In 1997, the company had another structure built out back for storage and shop space. After more than 20 years spent working out of the schoolhouse, Cervini had another office built to connect with the shop out back. However, the new office and the schoolhouse are too close together. The township asked Cervini to either move the schoolhouse or remove it, he said.

Minnesota

St. Paul: A gun owners’ group sued the Minnesota State Fair and Ramsey County on Tuesday, demanding that permit holders be allowed to carry handguns on the fairgrounds during the Great Minnesota Get-Together. The lawsuit filed by the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus in Ramsey County District Court argues that the State Fair’s ban on weapons violates the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. The plaintiffs also include a preacher and a group member who say they want to carry their guns for self-defense when they visit the fair. The lawsuit asks the court to order that Minnesotans who have valid carry permits be allowed to carry pistols at the fair and that the sheriff’s office, which will provide law enforcement at this year’s fair, be prohibited from enforcing the ban. Spokespeople for the State Fair and the sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The lawsuit argues that the State Fair, run by the Minnesota State Agricultural Society, is subject to the same state laws that allow permit holders to bring their guns into the State Capitol and other public places. And it says those laws supersede local regulations. The Minnesota State Fair opens Aug. 26 and runs through Labor Day.

Mississippi

Jackson: A swimming pool and splash pad near the capital city have been closed after the state health department said it found several cases of a bacterial infection associated with the facility. The Mississippi State Department of Health said Monday that it continues to investigate the E. coli infections found in connection with use of the swimming pool and splashpad at the Jellystone Park Camp Resort-Yogi on the Lake in Pelahatchie. An E. coli infection can cause stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, fever and sometimes more severe symptoms that can be life-threatening, according to the health department. Infection symptoms usually develop within three to four days after exposure. The agency said it has tracked infections to July 30 and Aug. 1 but believes additional exposures could have happened through Monday, before the pool and splashpad were closed. It urged people who used either the pool or splashpad during that time to monitor for symptoms and speak to a doctor immediately if any appear. The health department said the camp’s management is cooperating with the investigation.

Missouri

Jefferson City: The state turned 200 years old Tuesday, commemorating its birthday with art, music, speeches, free ice cream and – fittingly – the recognition of new citizens in a state that once served as the gateway for westward expansion in the United States. A bicentennial ceremony at the state Capitol marked the pinnacle of a year’s worth of events in every county intended to draw attention to Missouri’s history while also looking toward its future. At its founding, most of Missouri’s residents had immigrated from other states or countries because of the promise of rich, available farmland. But some were brought to the state as slaves, and some Native Americans were driven out of their homeland. Those who spoke at the bicentennial event acknowledged Missouri’s history contains both praiseworthy and regrettable moments. But overall, “we are a good people,” Missouri Chief Justice Paul Wilson said Tuesday, looking over a crowd of several hundred people spread across the Capitol lawn. “We’ve shone more often than we’ve blushed. We’ve been a force for light more often than we’ve been the cause of darkness.” Thirty-three people from 19 countries took the oath of U.S. citizenship inside the Capitol, where new Missouri-themed artwork was on display.

Montana

Missoula: The city has an agreement to buy a 21-unit apartment building that provides affordable housing for people living with mental illness or disabilities, the city said Monday. The Western Montana Mental Health Center built the apartment building in 1998 with public funds, but restrictions on the building’s use based on that funding have expired. The center’s board decided earlier this year to move away from offering housing to clients. CEO Levi Anderson said officials couldn’t find someone to buy the building to continue to provide low-income housing, so they put it on the market for nearly $2.2 million. Missoula and another buyer put in offers, and the center initially accepted the other offer, drawing anger from Mayor John Engen. The other buyer backed out for undisclosed reasons, and the city is now working to purchase the building through the Missoula Redevelopment Agency. “One of the most effective ways to house folks is to ensure that they’re not homeless to begin with,” Engen said in a statement. “Our agreement with Western guarantees long-term, stable housing for residents who would otherwise be exceptionally vulnerable in Missoula’s tight real-estate market.”

Nebraska

Omaha: A coalition of advocacy groups and state senators announced a new ballot drive Monday to raise Nebraska’s minimum wage to $15 an hour, up from the current $9 an hour that voters approved through a similar ballot initiative in 2014. Raise the Wage Nebraska said the move would benefit communities across the state. If enough signatures are gathered, the issue will appear on the 2022 general election ballot. The announcement comes after a proposal in the Legislature to set the wage at $20 an hour by 2032 stalled this year. “Poverty is at the root of many of the issues we are trying to tackle in our state,” state Sen. Terrell McKinney, a co-sponsor of the ballot campaign, said in a statement. “One way to begin decreasing poverty is to raise the minimum wage and change the cycle of surviving the good life to living the good life.” The measure is likely to face opposition from business groups, although none actively campaigned against the effort that increased Nebraska’s minimum wage to $9 in 2016. Before the phased-in 2014 ballot measure went into effect, Nebraska’s rate matched the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. If the $15-an-hour measure passes, Nebraska would have the highest minimum wage among its neighboring states, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Nevada

Las Vegas: A landlord argued with his live-in tenants over unpaid rent before opening fire with a handgun at a small house near downtown early Tuesday, killing two women and wounding a man who suffered nine gunshot wounds, police said. The suspect, a man in his late 70s, surrendered after a standoff with police who arrived about 12:30 a.m. to find one woman dead outside the pink, one-story home and the wounded man coming out the door, police Lt. Ray Spencer said. Police SWAT officers found the second woman dead inside the house, Spencer said. The names of the dead women and the wounded man, all in their 50s, were not immediately made public. The man was hospitalized in critical condition and was expected to survive, Spencer said. Police confiscated a 9 mm handgun, and the homeowner was being questioned. He was expected to be jailed pending a court appearance on murder and attempted murder charges, Spencer said. The suspect’s identity was not immediately released. “There was a dispute that started yesterday over money that was owed for rent,” Spencer said. “We don’t know the specifics, but information from witnesses is that it’s all over money not paid for their portion of the rent.”

New Hampshire

Concord: A bill intended to crack down on those who assault children could have unintentionally made it harder to prosecute those who harm adults, Gov. Chris Sununu said Tuesday in vetoing the legislation. Under current law, charges must be brought within six years of first- or second-degree assaults, regardless of the victim’s age. The Legislature passed a bill to expand the statute of limitations to allow for prosecution for assaults against children up until a victim turns 24, but prosecutors say the language could be interpreted as prohibiting prosecutions in cases in which victims are over age 24. Attorney General John Formella and all 10 county attorneys wrote to Sununu last week expressing concern about the bill, saying cases with adult victims over age 24 “simply would not be able to be charged or prosecuted.” Sununu said in his veto message that he supports the bill’s intent and encouraged the Legislature to rewrite it next year. “Occasionally, well-intentioned legislation can fall apart because of a few misplaced words or technical language that was left out,” he wrote. “Unfortunately House Bill 239 contains a fatal flaw that must prevent it from moving forward.” Sununu also vetoed two bills that would have eliminated the state police “gun line” and put the FBI solely in charge of background checks.

New Jersey

Trenton: To protect inmates in the state’s only women’s prison from sexual abuse, the U.S. Justice Department and the state Department of Corrections reached an agreement to install an independent monitor, among other reforms, officials said Tuesday. The agreement, which must still be approved by a federal judge before taking effect, calls for the establishment of confidential methods for inmates to report sexual abuse, as well as protections against retaliation for reporting abuse. The accord also requires more transparency through public meetings with stakeholders, including one-time prisoners at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women. The Justice Department issued a report in April 2020 finding that state official running the prison violated inmates’ constitutional rights by failing to protect them from sexual abuse, despite being aware of systemic problems. Then came news that in January 2021 that guards at the prison conducted violent raids on inmates in which some were punched and pepper-sprayed, according to authorities and video released from officials’ cameras. The state attorney general had called the cell extractions a brutal attack, and 10 guards face criminal charges.

New Mexico

Albuquerque: Customers are sounding the alarm over a proposed multibillion-dollar merger of the state’s largest electric utility provider with a U.S. subsidiary of Spanish energy giant Iberdrola, citing a sordid track record of reliability and customer service. They voiced their concerns during a virtual hearing Monday as state regulators prepare to hear from attorneys and experts representing Public Service Co. of New Mexico, Connecticut-based Avangrid, and other groups that have intervened in a case that has the potential to change the way electricity is generated and distributed in the state. The companies have been running television, radio and newspaper ads in an effort to win more support. Some politicians, environmental groups and labor union bosses have signed on, but others say regulators need to consider Avangrid and Iberdrola’s histories when it comes to providing reliable service in other states and parts of Latin America where they operate. Critics also pointed to Avangrid’s efforts to rollback provisions of a rooftop solar program in Maine. “We feel past performance is a better indicator of future performance than ads and promises,” said Paul Gibson, co-founder of the statewide advocacy group Retake Our Democracy.

New York

New York: A year after depending on drive-in and virtual screenings, the New York Film Festival, one of the premier destinations of the fall festival circuit, will return to in-person premieres at Lincoln Center this September, with vaccination proof required for all attendees. Film at Lincoln Center, which presents the annual festival, announced the lineup to the 59th NYFF on Tuesday. It will include virtual events and some outdoor screenings but forgo virtual screenings. Organizers said that decision was “in response to distributor and filmmaker partners and in light of festivals returning and theaters reopening across the country.” Dennis Lim, the festival’s director of programming, called the lineup “a reminder of cinema’s world-making possibilities” that “help us make sense of our moment.” The festival will kick off with the previously announced world premiere of Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” with Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog,” which will first debut at Venice, is the festival’s centerpiece. Pedro Almodovar’s “Parallel Mothers” will close the festival a few weeks after it premieres at the Venice Film Festival opener.

North Carolina

Raleigh: Interest in COVID-19 vaccines has surged in the week since the governor announced that his administration would boost the financial incentive from $25 to $100 for unvaccinated residents who come in for their first shot this month. While a number of factors are contributing to people’s decision to get vaccinated, including the rising spread of the more contagious delta variant, state health officials are hopeful even more people will choose to get vaccinated now that Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has decided to follow President Joe Biden’s advice to give out $100 rewards. “Many of our providers distributed all of their cards in a single day after we announced the shift to $100 last week,” said Catie Armstrong, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Health and Human Services. “One of our providers went from distributing 1,000 cards per week to 3,000 in two days.” Drivers who take people in for their first shot remain eligible for one $25 prepaid credit card, while those who get the shot can now receive four cards in $25 denominations. Armstrong said the department has worked to remove from its website the vaccination sites where providers have run out of cash cards, though she said supplies should soon be replenished.

North Dakota

Bismarck: Gov. Doug Burgum has requested federal help for counties dealing with recent storms that caused more than $2 million in damage to roads and other infrastructure. The storms during the second week of June produced tornadoes and up to baseball-sized hail, caused flooding, and included damaging winds of up to 93 mph. Because North Dakota is experiencing one of the worst droughts on record, the torrential rain that caused flooding was only made worse because dried-out topsoil was nearly impermeable. Burgum is asking that the Federal Emergency Management Agency issue a major disaster declaration for eight counties: Burke, Divide, Emmons, Grant, Kidder, LaMoure, Sioux and Williams. If granted, a presidential declaration would unlock FEMA public assistance to help cities, counties and townships pay for the costs of repairing roads and other infrastructure. “These unrelenting storms caused extensive damage to homes and businesses, damaged roads and bridges, and snapped power poles and downed power lines, cutting off service to several communities,” Burgum said. The governor also on Monday issued an executive order mobilizing state resources to help local and tribal officials.

Ohio

Columbus: Leaders of Black faith organizations, labor groups, current and former judges, and social activists are highlighting two sentences handed down in Cuyahoga County Court last week as justification for changes to the state’s sentencing system. In one case, a Black woman received 18 months in prison for stealing $42,000 from a suburban school where she was a secretary. In another case, a white woman received probation after stealing nearly $250,000 from the village where she worked as a clerk, cleveland.com reports. “Are we satisfied with a system that would allow for two extremely different results like this?” said Ohio Supreme Court Justice Michael Donnelly, a proponent of a statewide sentencing database that’s currently under construction with a goal of more uniform sentences for defendants. Judges weighing a sentence could enter multiple factors into the database, such as the number of victims in a crime or whether restitution was paid, and then draft a sentence by comparing it to those given in similar cases statewide. Ten of 34 Cuyahoga County judges have agreed to participate in the Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission project, as have all judges in Summit County, home to Akron. The majority of state judges have yet to sign on.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Sean McDaniel gives fist-bumps to students as they arrive at Rockwood Elementary for the first day of class Monday.
Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Sean McDaniel gives fist-bumps to students as they arrive at Rockwood Elementary for the first day of class Monday.

Oklahoma City: Tens of thousands of students returned to class Monday, but Oklahoma City Public Schools leaders said parents of the youngest grade levels are still showing hesitancy to enroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fewer than 27,000 students arrived for the first day of school districtwide. Schools expect numbers to climb in the coming weeks, potentially to 30,000, administrators said. Losses have been heaviest among pre-K and kindergarten classes since the pandemic began. Pre-enrollment rates indicated another year of depressed early childhood numbers. Only 1,304 children were enrolled in pre-K and kindergarten on Friday in a district that typically registers 2,600, said Jamie Polk, assistant superintendent of elementary schools. Although pre-K is optional in Oklahoma, it’s crucial to establishing a foundation of vocabulary and literacy, Polk said. “We just don’t know right now what the outcome will be when students do not have that formal education because of the pandemic,” she said. “We would rather have them with us in order for us to at least guide them via in-person, brick-and-mortar (schooling) or virtually. It’s just too important.”

Oregon

Salem: A lawsuit filed in Oregon Appellate Court last week is challenging the efforts of staff within the Legislature to unionize. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports the Freedom Foundation – a group that combats public-sector unions in Oregon, Washington and California – is seeking judicial review of the state Employment Relations Board’s ruling that cleared the way for legislative staff to vote to unionize in late May. Jason Dudash, Oregon director of the Freedom Foundation, said he believes the idea of a union is “fundamentally incompatible” with the work of the Legislature. “Unionizing legislative assistants will compromise the integrity of the legislative branch and erode trust by the people toward their elected lawmakers,” Dudash said in a statement Friday. The group argues that the bargaining unit representing legislative assistants is in conflict with the state law dividing power among Oregon’s three branches of government. The argument is nearly identical to one made by the Oregon Legislature itself last December when it objected to unionization efforts organized by staffers.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: About 25,000 employees of prisons and state health care and congregate care facilities have about a month to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or take weekly tests for the coronavirus, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Tuesday. Wolf said workers in those jobs – and all new hires at those facilities – have until Sept. 7 to get fully vaccinated. In addition to the Corrections Department, the requirement applies to state hospitals, veterans’ homes, community health centers, prisons, and homes for those with intellectual disabilities. The state Health Department said this week that 63.8% of adult state residents are fully vaccinated, although there were nearly 4,100 new cases over a recent three-day stretch. So far, more than 1.2 million Pennsylvanians have been infected with the coronavirus, and nearly 28,000 have died from it. The two-week moving average of cases has been on the rise in Pennsylvania, where daily vaccinations have recently averaged about 14,000 people. Starting Oct. 1, all state workers who prove they are fully vaccinated will also be given an extra day off of work as an incentive to increase the vaccination rate. Wolf has said he does not expect to require schoolchildren to wear masks as the academic year approaches.

Rhode Island

Scituate: Anyone who has ever wanted to know what it’s like to be a Rhode Island State Police trooper now has their chance. The agency is accepting applications through Sept. 17 for the 2021 Rhode Island State Police Citizens Academy. People can sign up at the agency’s website, but space is limited, the department said in a statement. The program includes briefings and hands-on experience in areas including training, officer safety, patrol operations and procedures, response to resistance, domestic violence investigations, victim assistance, and investigative techniques. Participants will also learn about the different divisions, including Professional Standards/Internal Affairs Unit, Community Diversity and Equity Unit, Patrol Bureau, Detective Bureau, Legal and other specialized units. The academy will be held every Monday evening from Sept. 27 through Nov. 1 at department headquarters and the training academy. Presenters include commander Col. James Manni and state Attorney General Peter Neronha. “The academy is an opportunity for us to strengthen our relationship with the people we serve by improving communication and sharing a deeper understanding of the challenges and demands we face every day,” Manni said.

South Carolina

Police officers stand in the check-in area of the temporary outdoor space set up outside the Greenville Municipal Court on Monday in Greenville, S.C.
Police officers stand in the check-in area of the temporary outdoor space set up outside the Greenville Municipal Court on Monday in Greenville, S.C.

Greenville: Court hearings are being held outdoors after flooding revealed mold inside the city’s municipal court building. The building that houses Greenville Municipal Court remains closed after broken water and sewage lines revealed mold damage. Tents have been set up for court hearings on the front lawn of the downtown building, and they’re expected to be used throughout the week. Repairs are still ongoing inside the court building, which was built in 1946. The building has terra cotta clay pipes for parts of its plumbing that became affected by underground roots, city spokeswoman Beth Brotherton said. That created a blockage and sewage backup.

South Dakota

Sioux Falls: Teachers, educators and other citizens charged with crafting new state social studies standards said Tuesday that Gov. Kristi Noem’s administration deleted many elements intended to bolster students’ understanding of Native American history and culture from their draft standards. Members of the working group – appointed by the Department of Education to review and update the standards – said they were caught by surprise Friday when the department released a document with significant changes. New standards are released every seven years. They said changes made to the draft they submitted in late July gave it a political edge they had tried to avoid, instead aligning with the Republican governor’s rhetoric on what she calls patriotic education. The working group’s draft recommended including Native American culture from Oceti Sakowin stories in kindergarten and studying tribal banking systems in high school, but the department cut many of those recommendations. “Here we are again; the Native population is not worthy of being taught,” said Sherry Johnson, the education director with the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and a member of the working group. “I feel it’s important for all students to learn. This is how you combat racism and you build resiliency.”

Tennessee

Manchester: Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival announced Tuesday that its festivalgoers will be required to show proof that they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19 or tested negative for the coronavirus within 72 hours of attending the event. The four-day festival in Manchester starts Sept. 2. It was delayed for more than a year due by the coronavirus pandemic. “The safety of our patrons and staff is our number one priority,” Bonnaroo officials said in statement said, adding that the last day to receive the second shot of the COVID-19 vaccine and be fully protected is Aug. 19. Chicago’s Lollapalooza music festival announced a similar requirement earlier this year. Like Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo will require attendees to present their vaccination cards. If they don’t, individuals must have a copy of a negative virus test within 72 hours of entering the festival’s hub, known as “Centeroo.” Bonnaroo will offer rapid testing for $40 if patrons miss the 72-hour window or do not have their vaccination card. Unvaccinated attendees are asked to wear masks. Tennessee has seen 12,837 COVID-19 related deaths to date, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins. Meanwhile, over the past two weeks, the rolling average number of daily new cases has increased by nearly 163%.

Texas

Austin: Gov. Greg Abbott appealed for out-of-state help to fight the third wave of COVID-19 as two more of the state’s largest school districts announced mask mandates in defiance of the Republican governor. Abbott’s request Monday came as a county-owned hospital in Houston raised tents to accommodate its COVID-19 overflow. Private hospitals in the county already were requiring their staffs to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Meanwhile, the Dallas and Austin school districts announced Monday that they would require students and staff to wear face masks. The Houston district already announced a mask mandate for its students and staff later this week if its board approves. The highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus is fueling the wave. Abbott has directed the Texas Department of State Health Services to use staffing agencies to find additional medical staff from beyond the state’s borders as the delta wave begins to overwhelm present staffing resources. He also has sent a letter to the Texas Hospital Association to request that hospitals postpone all elective medical procedures voluntarily. Hospital officials in Houston said last week that area hospitals with beds had insufficient numbers of nurses to serve them.

Utah

Salt Lake City: A 7-year-old boy died from burns he received after he and a friend played with matches, according to authorities. Salt Lake City police officials said the two boys were melting a fence with matches and an accelerant Saturday night, KSL-TV reports. The boy’s clothes caught fire, and a neighbor wrapped a blanket around him to extinguish the flames. Almost all of the boy’s body was severely burned. He was taken to Primary Children’s Hospital in critical condition and later died. The boy’s friend, a 9-year-old boy, was not injured.

Vermont

Montpelier: The state will require that government employees who work with vulnerable populations be vaccinated against COVID-19, Gov. Phil Scott said Tuesday. Scott said he changed his mind about requiring the vaccines for a portion of the state workforce because of how the highly transmissible delta strain of the coronavirus is responsible for most new cases in the state. “It’s shown how quickly it can spread,” Scott said of the delta variant during his regular Tuesday virus briefing. “We have an obligation to protect the most vulnerable, those under our care, and I think those in the veterans’ home, the psychiatric hospital, as well as the offenders in the correctional facilities, they are under our care.” Scott said there would be “some sort of an exit ramp” for those who don’t want to be vaccinated, perhaps regular coronavirus testing or something else that hasn’t been determined yet. Scott said he did not know about how many state employees the requirement would cover. He also said he did not expect to have to expand that requirement to other state employees.

Virginia

Richmond: A plan by police to install cameras that capture every passing license plate in neighborhoods where residents and visitors are mostly Black and brown is sparking concerns among critics who see cameras as an invasive way to surveil already overpoliced neighborhoods, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. The Richmond Police Department plans to install readers in Southwood, where census tract data shows the area is 48% Hispanic and 38% Black; Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority properties, which are largely Black neighborhoods; and other locations. Police say the locations haven’t been finalized. The areas were determined using crime trends, input from officers and command staff, and site surveys throughout the city, the department said in an email responding to the newspaper’s questions. Last month, Housing Authority Public Safety Director Brian Swann told the authority’s property management committee that police would install three or four cameras, which could be moved as needed. The license place readers would help solve violent crime in the communities, Swann said, though he added that crime, which is up citywide, was down across authority properties.

Washington

Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe member Dinae Sullivan greets Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and his wife, Trudi Inslee, as they arrive for a tour of the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe Community Health Center in Kitsap County's Little Boston community Friday.
Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe member Dinae Sullivan greets Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and his wife, Trudi Inslee, as they arrive for a tour of the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe Community Health Center in Kitsap County's Little Boston community Friday.

Kingston: A new community health center for the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe opened Monday, offering health and wellness services to tribal members. The Port Gamble S’Klallam Health Center is a 22,500-square-foot centralized space that is focused on a holistic approach to the health care of the tribe. All existing medical, dental and wellness services are now housed in the new building for the convenience of the patients. The health center has 10 exam rooms and 11 consultation rooms for medical services. In dentistry, there are six stations and a private operatory suite. Both departments have been fitted with new medical equipment. The original community clinic, located directly in front of the new health center, has been converted into a fitness center that will offer physical and massage therapy, acupuncture, X-ray imaging and a gym. Jolene Sullivan, PGST’s health services director, said she hopes the community will be drawn to utilize all the services offered as a form of preventative care. “I think we’re all excited – the community is even excited about offering those things and having them available here,” Sullivan said. The Port Gamble S’Klallam Health Center held its grand opening Friday, attended by Gov. Jay Inslee and his wife, Trudi.

West Virginia

Buckhannon: West Virginia Wesleyan College says it will charge a $750 fee to students who aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19 for the fall semester. The school in Buckhannon also said in its campus arrival guidance for the upcoming semester that students who come down with the coronavirus and can’t quarantine off campus will be charged $250 to do so on campus, WDTV-TV reports. The nonrefundable $750 fee will be charged to students who don’t submit proof of full vaccination or their first shot by Sept. 7, the college said on its website. “The fee is going to be used to cover the expenses that will come with increased testing and other resources that the college will have to utilize and deploy to keep every student safe,” Dean James Moore said. Unvaccinated students, faculty and staff are required to wear a mask indoors and maintain a social distance, the school said. Unvaccinated students will be required to take a weekly virus test.

Wisconsin

Madison: Opioid overdoses in the state have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to a report the Department of Health Services released Tuesday. The analysis shows the rate of overdose incidents rose from about 7 per 100,000 people in January 2019 to about 13 per 100,000 people this past March. Overdoses spiked in May 2020 to about 15 per 100,000 people. Stress from the pandemic, a statewide stay-at-home order, increased access to drugs and social isolation may have led to more dangerous drug behaviors, the report said. The data shows overdoses rose sharply during the pandemic’s onset, then decreased and now appear to be rising again. DHS officials said they plan to use $10.4 million that Wisconsin won as part of a multistate settlement to launch prevention programs for Black and American Indian communities, create health teams that will travel to areas of the state experiencing opioid spikes, reimburse counties for the costs of treating addicts, and cover housing for people in recovery. The settlement, reached in February, resolved allegations that consulting firm McKinsey & Company contributed to the opioid crisis by advising opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma on how to maximize profits by urging physicians to prescribe more OxyContin to patients.

Wyoming

Casper: Some local Republican Party officials have announced they will no longer recognize U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney as a party member because of her vote to impeach Donald Trump. “In the immortal words of the 45th President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump …‘You’re Fired!’ ” read recent letters to Cheney from GOP officials in Park and Carbon counties. Wyoming has 23 mainly rural counties, and the officials in Park and Carbon counties voted unanimously over the past week in favor of the latest form of censure against Cheney. In February, the state GOP voted overwhelmingly to censure Cheney for her vote to impeach Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot. In May, Republicans in Washington, D.C., voted to remove Cheney from her No. 3 House GOP leadership position after she maintained criticism of Trump for the riot and for his baseless assertions that voter fraud deprived him of reelection. The Wyoming votes are largely symbolic. The Republican Party can withdraw or withhold support from GOP officeholders and candidates in a variety of ways but can’t oust anybody from the party.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fentanyl fearmongering, Evel Knievel: News from around our 50 states