Haircuts, Super Bowl ring, dining out: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Montgomery: The state’s dine-in restaurants, bars, salons and gyms were allowed to reopen Monday as the state eases restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Kay Ivey last week announced a loosening of restrictions to “provide additional opportunities for people to go back to work.” Businesses including restaurants, hair salons, bars, breweries and gymnasiums were permitted to reopen Monday with rules including crowd limits and cleaning requirements. The state also lifted bans on non-work gatherings of 10 or more people. The change will allow churches, if they choose, to resume in-person services. Theaters, bowling alleys and other entertainment venues remain closed. The partial opening comes despite an upswing in the number of virus cases in the state. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin in a Sunday message to the city urged caution, saying that “the cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in our state.”

Alaska

Juneau: A local company is developing personal protective equipment with clear face shields to benefit people with hearing disabilities during the coronavirus pandemic. Rapid Response PPE of Juneau developed masks with clear plastic areas so people who are hard of hearing and rely on facial cues or lip reading can communicate effectively, The Juneau Empire reports. The company produced a standard mask with a clear shield over the wearer’s mouth and another model with a clear shield over the whole face, Rapid Response founder Hal Daugherty said. Rapid Response began focusing on hearing-impaired masks after being contacted by Northland Audiology and Hearing Service in Juneau, which works with clients on hearing disorders and remedies. “As soon as you put a mask on, you lose about 10-15 decibels,” Northland co-owner Kaia Rongstad said. “In communication, people rely on hearing, but they also rely on facial cues.”

Arizona

Phoenix: Restaurants were able to reopen for dine-in service Monday as Gov. Doug Ducey continued to relax social distancing orders amid the coronavirus pandemic. From large chains to local mom-and-pop eateries, restaurants were preparing to host patrons for the first time in nearly two months but at a limited capacity. Restaurants must abide by restrictions including social distancing between tables and not serving parties larger than 10. Ducey made the decision citing a downward trend in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. However, other restaurants posted on social media that they will remain closed until the governor’s stay-at-home order expires Friday or they feel prepared to meet new conditions. Ducey said other businesses and facilities, including gyms and swimming pools, will be allowed to open later. Movie theaters have asked to reopen July 15 and don’t expect film studios to release movies before then, he said.

Arkansas

Little Rock: Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he’ll allow large venues such as arenas and stadiums to fill to one-third capacity, with approval, in a revision of restrictions he announced last week because of the coronavirus pandemic. Hutchinson had previously said he expected some adjustments to the restrictions on large venues to address “some inequity” on the capacity limits between casinos and other indoor venues. On Saturday, he and Dr. Nathaniel Smith, the state’s health secretary, said that if one-third capacity is more than 50 people for large indoor and outdoor venues, the venue must submit a plan to be approved by the Arkansas Department of Health. One Arkansas venue has been promoting a concert drawing more than 200 people this week, despite restrictions placed on large gatherings. Singer Travis McCready is scheduled to play at TempleLive in Fort Smith on Friday, three days before such venues are allowed to open.

California

Seal Beach: A beach bordering two Southern California counties reopened Monday with some restrictions as parts of the state slowly reopened public spaces and businesses. Seal Beach in northern Orange County allowed running, walking and surfing starting at sunrise. “The beaches are open, and so far there have been no issues at all,” said police Sgt. Nick Nicholas, who added that officers and lifeguards would be patrolling to make sure people follow the rules. Seal Beach emphasized its age demographic in a May 1 letter asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to approve a beach reopening plan that only allows active users Mondays through Thursdays, with weekends still off-limits. “In total, seniors account for over 40% of the city’s population,” the letter said. “We are aware of our responsibility to ensure our at-risk population is protected and have thus far taken every necessary step to do so.” Next door, Long Beach reopened bike and pedestrian paths along its beach, but the sand remained off-limits like the rest of the beaches along Los Angeles County. They could reopen as early as Wednesday with restrictions.

Colorado

Castle Rock: Health officials say they are disappointed with one restaurant’s decision to open for sit-down service Sunday and will follow up with the owners. A video posted by Colorado Community Media showed a crowd of people inside C&C Kitchen and Coffee on Mother’s Day. People were sitting at tables and waiting in line at the counter. More people waited in line outside. In a tweet that mentioned President Donald Trump, the eatery’s owners said they were standing up for America, small businesses and the Constitution and against the overreach of Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis in response to the coronavirus outbreak. While most restaurants in the state are not allowed to offer sit-down service under Polis’ latest order, Colorado has allowed restaurants in Mesa County to open tables to customers at 30% capacity because of its low number of cases, The Daily Sentinel reports.

Connecticut

Hartford: Gun rights supporters have filed a lawsuit against Gov. Ned Lamont and several local police chiefs over the coronavirus-related suspension of fingerprinting services needed to obtain gun and ammunition permits. The Connecticut Citizens Defense League filed the lawsuit Saturday in U.S. District Court, saying a March 17 executive order issued by the Democratic governor violates the Second Amendment right to bear arms. Lamont’s order suspended the state law that prohibits state police and local police officials from refusing to collect fingerprints, as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the virus. The gun rights group said that effectively shut down the issuance of permits for firearms. State Attorney General William Tong said the lawsuit has no merit, and his office will defend the governor’s order.

Delaware

Dover: Gov. John Carney has issued an executive order suspending requirements for teachers to receive annual evaluations. Carney issued the order Sunday due to the suspension of the 2019-20 school year in connection with the coronavirus outbreak. The executive order also suspends professional development requirements. And it officially suspends the requirement that school districts provide a minimum of 1,060 hours of instruction during the school year. Carney said the goal of the changes is to hold teachers and students harmless for the fallout of a shortened school year. It is the 16th modification Carney has made to his initial March 12 order declaring a state of emergency related to the coronavirus pandemic.

District of Columbia

Washington: Mayor Muriel Bowser, alongside local and federal leaders, on Monday unveiled the transformation of D.C. Convention Center into a field hospital to support the district’s response to a possible medical surge, WUSA-TV reports. The alternate care site can accommodate 437 beds and is ready to accept patients this week. The facility is set to begin accepting low-acuity COVID-19 patients when district hospitals reach surge bed capacity. The site is fully equipped with medical and emergency medical supplies, officials said. “Our hope is that as Washingtonians continue working together to blunt the spread of COVID-19, (so that) we never get to the point of needing to use this site. But if we end up needing additional hospital capacity, these beds are here and ready for patients,” Bowser said.

Florida

Orlando: Hair and nail salons and barbershops began reopening Monday as the state took another baby step out of the economic abyss caused by the new coronavirus shutdown. Gov. Ron DeSantis allowed such businesses to reopen with tight regulations except in hard-hit Miami-Dade and Broward counties, the state’s two most-populous. That comes almost six weeks after they were ordered closed statewide – some counties closed them earlier – and one week after sit-down dining was allowed in most of the state’s restaurants, also with heavy restrictions such as limiting capacity to 25% of normal. DeSantis himself has expressed eagerness to get a haircut, saying last week that he hasn’t had one since February. The state has ordered that barbers, cosmetologists and manicurists wear masks when seeing customers, that they require appointments so few people will be waiting inside and that they spend 15 minutes between each customer sanitizing the work station.

Georgia

Atlanta: Georgians are increasingly regaining access to outdoor spaces as COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease, even as some officials continue to express concern that the decrease in restrictions is poorly planned. This past weekend was the first that people could set up tents, chairs and umbrellas on beaches, and some on Tybee Island were eager to take advantage of the new freedoms. Beginning Monday, visitors were permitted to return to trails and some parking areas at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in metro Atlanta and the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield. Visitor centers and restrooms remain closed. On Thursday, the Chattahoochee and Oconee National Forests in northern and central Georgia reopened some trails and dispersed recreation areas, although the Appalachian Trail and its access points remain closed. Cumberland Island National Seashore allowed people to return to beaches by private boat beginning May 2.

Hawaii

Honolulu: Nonprofit organizations and the state’s homeless coordinator warned about a surge in newly homeless families and the need to continue funding social service programs as the economy shrinks because of the coronavirus. Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness Scott Morishige said that six months to a year after emergency government aid and prohibitions on rental evictions expire, the islands are likely to see a jump in homelessness that could last for years, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports. Large numbers of people became homeless in Hawaii after cuts to social service programs related to financial emergencies, including the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the 2008-2009 economic downturn commonly known as the Great Recession, Morishige said. “It won’t be a one- or two-year spike,” Morishige said. “We’re likely to see a steady increase over time.”

Idaho

Boise: Two organizations filed emergency amicus briefs in nine eviction hearings scheduled for Tuesday, seeking to halt the evictions under provisions in the coronavirus relief bill. The American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho and Idaho Legal Aid Services filed the briefs last week and were expected to make similar filings in another 15 upcoming cases, the Idaho Press reports. An amicus brief is a document submitted to the court to help educate the judge about the issues at play. “It’s just been crazy – we didn’t know even how they were going to do this,” said Howard Belodoff, an attorney with Idaho Legal Aid Services. “They’re not allowing anybody in the courthouse for hearings, so they called all the defendants if they had their number.” Judge Christopher Bieter continued with eight of the nine cases after the briefs were filed, Belodoff said. The ninth case was resolved between the parties.

Illinois

Chicago: Gov. J.B. Pritzker defended his stay-at-home order and incremental plans to reopen, saying Sunday that residents have to change the way things are done until COVID-19 is “eradicated.” The Democrat’s comments on CNN’s “State of the Union” came as he faced a southern Illinois salon owner’s lawsuit, criticism from some Republicans who deem his plans an overreach and a Chicago Tribune editorial accusing him of being “cautious to the extreme.” Pritzker dismissed the criticism Sunday. “The truth is that coronavirus is still out there,”’ he told CNN. “It hasn’t gone anywhere. And so we all are going to have to change the way we do things until we’re able to eradicate it.” While the number of hospitalizations has remained mostly flat, Illinois continues to report a high number of daily cases and deaths.

Indiana

Indianapolis: Indianapolis International Airport’s top official says it could take up to three years for the airport’s flights to bounce back to the levels it saw before the coronavirus pandemic. The airport’s flight activity has dropped to as low as 5% of typical operations since the virus outbreak spread across the U.S. in March, and it recently served only 14 of its 53 destinations, said Mario Rodriguez, the airport authority’s executive director. Rodriguez said during Visit Indy’s annual State of Tourism event last week that the airport could have 45% fewer flights than originally expected for the year, the Indianapolis Business Journal reports. Overall passenger traffic at the airport was down 51% in March from a year earlier. Rodriguez said he expects activity to bounce back to 80% of normal in 2021. But he predicted the airport will see lower-than-normal activity for up to three years. He said it will be a “transformative period” for the industry.

Iowa

Iowa City: Gov. Kim Reynolds said Monday that she will follow a “modified quarantine” plan after meeting with Vice President Mike Pence at a time when one of his aides tested positive for coronavirus. Reynolds said Pence’s aide was at the White House when she visited last Wednesday to brief Pence and President Donald Trump on Iowa’s response to the pandemic. Reynolds met again with Pence on Friday when he visited Iowa to meet with religious leaders and food executives. Although Pence had just learned of his aide’s infection, he didn’t wear a mask during his visit, and neither did the governor or other Iowa politicians. Reynolds said that she had no contact with Pence’s aide when in Washington but that “out of an abundance of caution” she will take steps to isolate herself. Reynolds said that she tested negative Monday for coronavirus and is feeling healthy.

Kansas

Topeka: State and local orders aimed at checking the spread of the novel coronavirus are facing challenges from the state’s attorney general and business owners. Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt said Monday that he is reviewing whether it’s constitutional for people who violate Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s orders restricting business activities to face criminal charges. Schmidt said in a statement that an unnamed local prosecutor asked him to issue a legal opinion. Schmidt said the state Constitution gives the Legislature, not the governor, the power to determine what constitutes a crime. Schmidt’s announcement came a day after two business owners in Linn County filed a federal lawsuit challenging an order from the health director requiring businesses to keep information on who visits their premises so the local health department can use it to trace the contacts of infected people. The suit alleges the requirement violates the owners’ right against unreasonable searches of their property.

Kentucky

Louisville: For video conference calls that are starting to get humdrum, the Louisville Zoo has some guests to keep things lively. People using Zoom to communicate with fellow workers or family during the coronavirus pandemic can make a $75 tax-deductible donation to have Fitz the elephant or Qannik the polar bear, among others, make an appearance. Social media is one way zoos worldwide have been engaging with people who can no longer visit – their main source of income – and raise some much-needed cash. “While many people have been working in non-traditional ways lately and have possibly been experiencing fatigue with the work-from-home lifestyle, including the Zoo’s animal ambassadors in your next conference call could help bring a much-needed smile to video participants,” John Walczak, Louisville Zoo’s director, said in a news release. Sunni the sloth, Petey the camel, and some of the gorillas and giraffes are also available to participate.

Louisiana

New Orleans: Roughly 1 in 4 workers in New Orleans is without a job because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study by the University of Louisiana Lafayette. The study found unemployment in New Orleans is the highest in the state at 25%, just ahead of Baton Rouge at 21% without jobs and Lafayette at nearly 19%, The Advocate reports. The unemployment rates estimated for Louisiana metro regions are based on recent first-time jobless claims filed with the Louisiana Workforce Commission analyzed by Stephen Barnes, an associate professor and director of the University of Louisiana Lafayette’s Blanco Public Policy Center Director. One of the reasons New Orleans appears to be doing so poorly is that the city is dependent upon tourism, which has been devastated by global efforts to stop the virus.

Maine

Portland: A dozen or more summer camps won’t be opening this year because of the coronavirus, but others are still awaiting further guidance before issuing a decision. Many of Maine’s more than 270 summer camps remain hopeful they can reopen. Gov. Janet Mills has announced a timeline for reopening parts of the state’s economy, including allowing day camps to open June 1 for Maine children and non-Maine residents who have quarantined for 14 days. Overnight camps can reopen July 1. Ron Hall, executive director of Maine Summer Camps, told the Portland Press Herald that the camps contribute about $200 million to the state’s economy each year. For now, questions remain. Hall said some overnight camps were preparing to open and welcome out-of-state campers, figuring they could meet quarantine requirements by having campers just stay on the camp grounds. But Henry Kennedy, director of Kieve Wavus Education, which runs the two camps, said he took the quarantine rule to mean that out-of-state campers would have to be isolated in Maine before attending camp.

Maryland

Annapolis: The state’s secretary of the environment says the coronavirus pandemic has reinforced the need to transform transportation in Maryland. Secretary Ben Grumbles told the Capital Gazette that state environment officials have had an opportunity to measure diminished traffic and its impact on air quality. He said the results could serve as a guide for the future. “The hope here is that the silver lining is more than just a lining, that it becomes an opportunity that is institutionalized and built upon,” Grumbles said. The newspaper reports traffic from light-duty vehicles such as cars and SUVs is down by more than half along I-95 in Maryland. Satellite observations have also indicated levels of nitrogen dioxide in March were 30% below the average along the corridor between Washington and Boston. Power plant emissions also appear to be down. “Reducing the pollution from tail pipes and smoke stacks translates into cleaner water for the Chesapeake Bay,” Grumbles said.

Massachusetts

Boston: New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has donated one of his six Super Bowl championship rings to an auction that raises money to provide meals for those in need during the coronavirus pandemic. Kraft said in a video that he has been inspired by medical workers caring for patients with the virus. He offered his Super Bowl 51 ring to the All In Challenge because the Patriots recovered from a 28-3 deficit against the Atlanta Falcons in 2017 for a 38-24 overtime victory. The ring “showed how we came back,” he said. All of the money raised will go directly to Feeding America, Meals on Wheels, World Central Kitchen and No Kid Hungry. The top bid for the ring as of Monday morning was $330,000. Bids will be accepted for another 10 days. The 5.1-carat weight white gold ring features 283 diamonds surrounding the Patriots logo and five Lombardi trophies.

Michigan

Flint: A museum seeking to document the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the community is asking for the submission of journals, art, videos, photographs and other materials. The Sloan Museum in Flint initially will collect materials online but also will look for physical objects that help tell the story of life during the pandemic when it becomes safe to do so. The materials will become part of the museum’s historical record preserving the story of the Greater Flint community. Archival materials and artifacts from the pandemic will be used by researchers and museum staff. They could become part of future exhibitions or publications. Community Engagement coordinator Jerome Threlkeld said this is an opportunity to have experiences, strategies, opinions, photos and videos shape the historical record of 2020. Digital materials can be submitted to SloanLongway.org/COVIDscrapbook.

Minnesota

Minneapolis: The effects of the coronavirus have forced the famed Guthrie Theater to cut 60% of its budget and two-thirds of its plays for the upcoming season, actions that were approved Friday by the theater’s board of directors. The casualties include the popular and profitable rendition of “A Christmas Carol,” which the theater has produced every year since 1975, the Star Tribune reports. The board in March had approved a $31 million budget and nine shows. The group on Friday settled on $12.6 million in spending and a three-show season from March to August. Artistic director Joseph Haj said in a letter to staff that furloughs and permanent job cuts could be announced next week and that the three-show season could be increased depending on the safety for performers and audiences.

Mississippi

Jackson: Some Mississippians were able to take that inch of hair off beginning Monday thanks to a further rollback of coronavirus restrictions, but the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the state even as some protest that Gov. Tate Reeves hasn’t done enough to loosen up. The Republican Reeves said hair salons and barbershops could reopen Monday as long as chairs are at least 6 feet apart, employees and customers wear face masks, and everyone is screened for virus symptoms. Customers are supposed to wait outside until stylists are ready for them. Gyms were allowed to reopen Monday too at 30% capacity, operating under restrictions. Michelle Johnson of Fountain of Love hair salon in Southaven told WREG-TV she’s eager to open in part because her employees have been at a competitive disadvantage since salons in nearby Tennessee opened last week. Others say they will stay closed for a while longer, citing the risks.

Missouri

Kansas City: Restaurants in the state’s largest city can reopen to in-person dining starting Friday after a lengthy shutdown caused by the coronavirus, and patrons can expect to see employees wearing face coverings, plenty of space between tables, no bar seating and no buffets. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas on Monday spelled out reopening guidelines for restaurants and other nonessential businesses. The guidelines will remain in place through at least May 31. Lucas encouraged anyone going out in public to wear face protection and continue to maintain social distancing to protect against catching or spreading COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Disposable menus are encouraged; otherwise, menus should be cleaned and sanitized after each customer’s use. The guidelines also call for frequent cleaning and sanitizing of areas that are frequently touched, including door handles and service counters.

Montana

Helena: State parks and fishing access sites have experienced a major increase in visitation as residents spend time outdoors amid health restrictions related to the coronavirus. Estimated visitation at Montana’s state parks climbed by more than 60% compared to this time in previous years, The Independent Record reports. Managers estimate there were nearly 152,000 visitors at state parks in March and April this year, compared to about 95,000 in 2019 and 2018. Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock issued a stay-at-home order, which included an exemption for outdoor recreation but also encouraged those going outside to stay close to home. Parks close to larger urban areas experienced some of the most significant increases. “We understand that our parks and trails play a critical role in how people deal with the stress and uncertainty that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought,” Montana State Parks Administrator Beth Shumate said.

Nebraska

Lincoln: To bring the coronavirus under heel, particularly as the measures that effectively closed the state are lifted, public health agencies will use a tried and true tool used for decades to help control infectious disease outbreaks. The goal of contact tracing is to identify positive cases in the population, ask those individuals to isolate at home or elsewhere, and identify anyone else with whom they may have come into contact since becoming infected, according to the Lincoln Journal Star. Contact tracing efforts are already in place in several communities across the state, including Lincoln, which has seen its total cases rise by 148% last week alone. On Friday, the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department deployed 16 contact tracers by phone. Some have worked in the health department’s clinic before the pandemic and were reassigned, while school nurses from Lincoln Public Schools have also offered to help as needed.

Nevada

Carson City: The state is fast-tracking the hiring of temporary unemployment office workers to deal with a wave of benefits claims that followed the mid-March closure of casinos and other businesses in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Steve Sisolak said Monday. The governor said he signed a directive letting the state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation hire contractors and rehire retirees or former employees to process claims alongside regular state workers through the end of this year. Sisolak said skipping normal competitive hiring practices should help get insurance benefits more quickly to more out-of-work Nevada residents. Officials acknowledge the state jobless office has been overwhelmed by more than 440,000 initial claims for jobless benefits this calendar year. That’s close to 1 in 3 people who had jobs statewide in February. Untold numbers of others have been frustrated by long wait times, dropped calls and computer problems.

New Hampshire

Littleton: The town has canceled its annual “Pollyanna Glad Day” gathering because of the coronavirus, but officials hope to organize a virtual event in honor of the children’s literary heroine and her spirit of optimism. Last year, Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bill designating the second Saturday in June “Pollyanna of Littleton New Hampshire Recognition Day.” Eleanor H. Porter, author of the 1913 book “Pollyanna,” lived in Littleton, where a bronze statue of the beloved character welcomes visitors. The event has featured a pancake breakfast, a celebration near the sculpture, a sing-a-long and a walking tour. Visitors are still encouraged to visit the sculpture and practice social distancing. Details on a virtual celebration could be released in the coming weeks, Karen Keazirian, executive director of Pollyanna of Littleton, Inc., told the Caledonian-Record newspaper.

New Jersey

Trenton: Students who were hoping to mark graduations and proms with socially distanced ceremonies and parades may be out of luck. The state police superintendent warned schools in a letter Saturday that such celebrations would violate a state order banning public gatherings and “should therefore be canceled or postponed until such time as these restrictions are lifted.” The office of the state attorney general said drive-by celebrations – popular events that often involve police escorts – would not be canceled, in an email clarifying the guidance. An administrative order by Col. Patrick Callahan, the police superintendent and also the state director of emergency management, specifically banned gatherings in groups of more than 10 people. Gov. Phil Murphy has said that it’s up to local school districts to decide how to mark graduation and that he expected to see “creative” solutions.

New Mexico

Gallup: A 105-year-old woman who beat back the 1918 flu that killed millions, including her mother and infant sister, is battling COVID-19. Lubica “Luby” Grenko, who will turn 106 years old in August, has been fighting the coronavirus since being diagnosed April 29 at the Little Sisters of the Poor in Gallup, the Gallup Independent reports. Grenko, who was born in the city when World War I began, survived the 1918 flu before enduring the Great Depression and World War II. The flu took the lives of her mother, Marijeta Kauzlaric, 28, and younger sister, Annie Kauzlaric, 1 month old. Grenko’s granddaughter Misty Tolson said her grandmother remembers her mother going into the hospital and never coming out. Tolson said she doesn’t think her grandma understands the current virus because she told one of the aides who walked in with protective gear on, “What the heck do you have on?”

New York

New York: The city’s death toll from the coronavirus may be thousands of fatalities worse than the official tally kept by the city and state, according to an analysis released Monday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between mid-March and early May, about 24,000 more people died in the city than researchers would ordinarily expect, based on the season, the report said. That’s about 5,300 more deaths than had been previously attributed to the coronavirus during that time period. These so-called excess deaths could have been caused by byproducts of the pandemic, the report found, including “the demand on hospitals and health care providers and public fear related to COVID-19” prompting delays in people seeking or receiving lifesaving care. Even deaths caused by the coronavirus are believed to be widely undercounted worldwide, due in large part to limits in testing and the different ways countries count the dead.

North Carolina

Hendersonville: Western Carolina Community Action group will host a drive-thru food distribution event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday. The WCCA Head Start food distribution event will serve the more than 600 children and families enrolled in the nonprofit’s head start and early head start programs and partner programs in Western North Carolina. Families can visit six locations to receive bagged meals: King Creek Children’s Center in Hendersonville, Etowah Children’s Center in Etowah, Columbus Children’s Center in Columbus, Hillview Head Start in Brevard, Pisgah Forest Children’s Center in Brevard and Rosman Children’s Center in Rosman. Food will also be available for pickup at seven child care partner sites throughout Henderson, Transylvania, Polk and Rutherford counties. The families the organization serves have been especially hard hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, said WCCA grant writer Terri Bowman.

North Dakota

Bismarck: The North Dakota State Fair is the latest casualty of the coronavirus outbreak, as the numbers of cases and deaths in the state continue to rise. Fair officials announced Monday that they’re calling off the event because of uncertainty related to the pandemic. The July gathering is the largest annual event in the state, typically attracting about 300,000 people each year to the fairgrounds in Minot. Fair officials said the decision was “in the best interest for all involved” due to concerns about health and safety. Tickets had been on sale since March. People who purchased with a credit card will get a refund to their account. North Dakota health officials on Monday reported 1,518 confirmed COVID-19 cases, up 27 from the previous day. One death was reported, bringing the statewide total to 36. Health officials identified the victim as a Cass County man in his 90s with underlying health conditions.

Ohio

Columbus: Prison inmate Carlos Ridley, four decades into a life sentence for a triple slaying, was awaiting a court ruling this month that he hoped would help him prove innocence through DNA testing. Last Monday, an Ohio appeals court rejected Ridley’s request. The next day, he was rushed to a hospital, where he died of COVID-19, according to his two daughters. Ohio has the country’s highest per-prisoner COVID-19 case rate and the fifth-highest prisoner death rate, according to an analysis of state prison cases by The Marshall Project, a nonprofit investigative newsroom dedicated to the U.S. criminal justice system. At least 45 Ohio prison inmates have died of COVID-19, 27 of them housed – like Ridley – in central Ohio’s Pickaway Correctional Institution, which includes a medical center. More than 4,300 inmates and nearly 500 staff members have tested positive statewide.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: Gov. Kevin Stitt’s pick to lead the Oklahoma State Department of Health doesn’t have enough support in the state Senate to take the job, a key senator said Monday. Sen. Greg McCortney, chairman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, said interim Health Commissioner Gary Cox doesn’t have enough votes to be confirmed. Among senators’ top concerns was that Cox, an attorney, lacks the qualifications to be state commissioner, including at least a master of science degree. Cox has said previously that Stitt picked him mostly because of his experience working as director of city-county health departments in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. State audits of the Oklahoma City-County Health Department during his tenure there uncovered numerous problems. Cox said in a statement Monday that he is focused on protecting Oklahomans from COVID-19 and that his nomination is up to the governor and Legislature.

Oregon

Corvallis: A new study by researchers at Oregon State University indicates the spread of coronavirus in the city is not rampant even as key details remain a mystery. University officials said preliminary findings suggest 2 people per 1,000 residents in the college town may have been infected with novel coronavirus during the weekend of April 25. But the university refused to say how many of the 455 people tested during the first weekend’s collection actually tested positive. The study’s estimated rate of prevalence is based on those undisclosed test results and modeling. The study is the first of its kind in Oregon and offers the only real insight to date into how widespread the virus could be among people who otherwise have not been tested. University officials said the early findings indicate the need for more testing, which should help identify if people without symptoms are infected.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: Gov. Tom Wolf blasted local elected officials who plan to reopen in defiance of his shutdown orders, threatening Monday to yank coronavirus aid and declaring they are “choosing to desert in the face of the enemy.” The normally mild-mannered Democrat fired back after several counties declared themselves in open rebellion against his restrictions on businesses and movement, saying local officials who pronounce themselves open for business will pay a steep price. “To those politicians who decide to cave in to this coronavirus, they need to understand the consequences of their cowardly act,” Wolf said, threatening to withhold state and federal funding to counties “that put us all at risk by operating illegally.” Wolf also warned businesses that choose to “follow the whims of local politicians and ignore the law” that they risk businesses’ licenses, certificates of occupancy and other required governmental approvals to operate.

Rhode Island

Providence: The state Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments this week using remote technology for the first time. The court will hear seven cases total Wednesday and Thursday, during which the five justices and the attorneys will be at separate locations, according to an emailed statement Monday from court spokesman Craig Berke. Chief Justice Paul Suttell, reacting to the coronavirus crisis, postponed all March and April hearings, but he directed the court system’s technology center to develop a way for justices to hear cases using video-conferencing technology. The public will be able to listen to live audio of the proceedings on the court’s YouTube channel.

South Carolina

Charleston: Catholic churches across the state resumed allowing members of the public to attend Mass beginning Monday. Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone made the announcement in a letter earlier this month, with in-person Sunday services set to resume next weekend. Priests have been celebrating Mass privately, with many services broadcast on the internet. Individual churches are communicating restrictions to parishioners. At St. Joseph Catholic Church in Charleston, for example, the church is telling people not to come to Mass if they are sick, at high risk of illness or older than 65. Worshipers are asked to stay 6 feet apart and not congregate before or after Mass. The church also says attendees should use a restroom at church only if absolutely necessary and are “strongly encouraged” to take communion in the hand, not on the tongue. Holy water fonts will be empty.

South Dakota

Deadwood: Casinos in the city are seeing customers after reopening last week during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Deadwood City Commission voted last Monday to allow businesses to reopen if they follow federal, state and local rules for preventing the spread of the coronavirus. The vote came after the Deadwood Gaming Association reported March gambling revenue dropped 20% compared with March 2019. “Deadwood is open. We just remind everyone to be safe and do their part,” Mayor David Ruth told the Rapid City Journal. At Cadillac Jack’s, general manager David Schneiter said Thursday’s play was “better than a typical Thursday” at the casino. Schneiter said 180 employees were called back to work Thursday. “A lot of people are excited to come back in,” he said. Schneiter said staff will sanitize slots after each player.

Tennessee

Nashville: The names and addresses of Tennesseans who have tested positive for COVID-19 are being provided to first responders, law enforcement and paramedics under a state agreement deemed necessary to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The agreement was finalized April 3 between Tennessee’s Department of Health and the state’s Emergency Communications Board, according to documents obtained by the Associated Press. “Health is disclosing to TECB a list of names and addresses of individuals documented as having tested positive, or received treatment, for COVID-19,” the agreement says. “Health intends to update this list daily; after 30 days on the list, an individual’s name and address will roll off of this list.” The agreement – known as a memorandum of understanding – was not publicized when it was signed but instead distributed to local leaders across the state. Tennessee Lookout first reported on the agreement Friday.

Texas

Corpus Christi: The Texas National Guard has set up multiple mobile COVID-19 testing sites in the Coastal Bend since late April. On April 20, Gov. Greg Abbott said National Guard members would be deployed across the state to provide more access to coronavirus testing. Since then, Guard members have set up mobile sites in Kleberg County, Aransas County, Corpus Christi and Portland, among others. The National Guard said it is collecting data necessary for Abbott to continue to reopen the state safely. National Guard teams include 11 medical professionals and support staff and 34 soldiers. The teams have the capacity to collect 150 specimens daily at each site. That number is expected to increase as more teams are deployed, National Guard officials said. As of last week, the guard had collected nearly 12,000 specimens in 158 counties.

Utah

St. George: Southern Utah’s latest appeal to move from “orange” to “yellow” may be in jeopardy because of the high transmission rate of COVID-19 in the region. St. George Mayor Jon Pike had speculated Thursday that the state could issue a decision on the region’s second appeal to jump from moderate risk (orange) to low risk (yellow) Friday. However, Pike received word Friday evening from the state health department that the decision would be on hold over the weekend to see if the transmission rate lowers. The transmission rate for the past seven to 14 days is 5.0, which means for each person with the virus, it has spread to five people. To make the move to “yellow,” the region needs to be at a 1.5 or lower transmission rate, according to city spokesperson David Cordero.

Vermont

Marshfield: Retail stores will be allowed to open next week at 25% capacity and must abide by health and safety requirements as the state takes another step to gradually reopen the coronavirus-stricken economy, Gov. Phil Scott announced Monday. Vermont has the third-slowest rate of case growth in the country and reported no positive tests or deaths from the virus that causes COVID-19 from Sunday, Scott said. The state still needs to remain vigilant because of the outbreaks in nearby states, he said. “Even as we continue to reopen, I urge Vermonters not to let up on physical distancing, washing your hands and staying home when ill, limiting travel, and wearing masks around others,” he said. He said he’s asked the Agency of Commerce and Community Development to work with the departments of health and public safety to create and release guidance this week for the gradual reopening of retail May 18.

Virginia

Falls Church: Health directors in northern Virginia say the region is not yet ready to lift stay-at-home orders and other restrictions that the rest of the state is preparing to ease. In a memo released Sunday, the health directors said the region is not meeting important benchmarks to reduce COVID-19 hospitalizations and employing contact tracers who could chart the progress of the coronavirus in the community. They said the data is unclear on other key metrics, like the rate of positive tests for the virus. The region’s political leaders wrote a letter to Gov. Ralph Northam on Sunday accompanying the memo. They asked Northam to allow northern Virginia to move at a slower pace in easing restrictions. Northam said he plans to implement the first phase of reopening the economy Friday, though restrictions will remain severe.

Washington

Seattle: Three more rural counties have been given the OK to relax some COVID-19 stay-at-home restrictions early as the state move through the reopening process. Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman on Monday approved applications from Wahkiakum, Skamania and Stevens counties to move into Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s reopening plan, which among other things would allow in-store retail purchases, with some restrictions; hair salons and barbers; and restaurants at half capacity with tables of fewer than five people. Inslee last week announced that his stay-at-home restrictions would be extended through at least May 31 and said there will be a four-stage phase-in for lifting of restrictions. There will be a minimum of three weeks between each phase, but rural counties that meet certain metrics are allowed to apply to speed up the phases.

West Virginia

Charleston: In anticipation of the busy Memorial Day weekend in two weeks, Gov. Jim Justice announced Monday that more businesses will be reopening, including restaurants with indoor seating May 21. The Republican governor also said large specialty retail stores can open back up on that date as he tries to get the state’s economy moving again in response to the coronavirus pandemic. That doesn’t include indoor malls, but he said mall anchor stores with exterior entrances can resume operations. Bar areas at restaurants must remain closed, and those businesses are limited to 50% seating capacity. Patrons will not be allowed to congregate in waiting areas, and there will be no buffet-style service or self-serve salad bars. Drinks are recommended to be served in cans or bottles. Justice said he participated in a conference call Monday with Vice President Mike Pence, and there is a “real movement to encourage – I’m not going to say push – but encourage more and more and more reopening.”

Wisconsin

Madison: Gov. Tony Evers on Monday allowed nearly all nonessential retail stores to reopen as long as they serve no more than five customers at a time, partially lifting the restriction that has kept them closed for weeks to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The latest order, which took effect immediately, addresses criticism from smaller stores and Republican lawmakers that it was unfair to allow essential businesses such as grocery stores to remain open while nonessential ones such as flower shops had to close under Evers’ “safer at home” order. The latest order applies to all standalone stores and those in strip malls that have entrances to the outside, but not to stores in large indoor shopping malls. Allowing the smaller retail stores to open will revive about 90,000 jobs in 14,000 businesses, said Missy Hughes, secretary of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

Wyoming

Cody: With many restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing, what this summer will look like for the Cody Nite and Stampede rodeos is anyone’s guess at this point. “I think everybody is planning and hoping,” said Mike Darby, president of the Cody Stampede Board of Directors. The 82nd edition of the Nite Rodeo is a fairly likely bet at some point this summer, the Cody Enterprise reports. “We’re trying to get something to keep people in town for the businesses so they can have a better year than it’s looking like right now,” Darby said. Right now, it is tentatively scheduled for a June 15 start – two weeks later than the traditional June 1 kickoff. Marc Thompson, a board director, said this start date will allow time for easing of state restrictions.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Haircuts, Super Bowl ring: News from around our 50 states