Newark lead plan, casino dorm, Arpaio’s return: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Mobile: Some south Alabama breweries are working on a new beer to benefit a nonprofit environmental group that works to protect the state’s coast. Six breweries in Mobile and Baldwin County are teaming up to produce an ale called “Friends in Low Places IPA” as a fundraiser for the Alabama Coastal Foundation. The New England-style India pale ale will be available in the coastal region beginning next month, and it will go statewide after that. Participating breweries are Braided River, Iron Hand, Old Majestic and Serda in Mobile, plus Fairhope Brewing and Big Beach Brewing in Baldwin County. The Alabama Coastal Foundation started in 1993. It teaches about the state’s coastal environment and works to preserve marine ecosystems.

Alaska

Juneau: Health insurance officials have announced the state’s plan to weaken air ambulance membership plan regulations. CoastAlaska reports the Alaska Division of Insurance will no longer review consumer membership plans for pre-approval. Department officials say health insurance does not cover the full cost of a flight, so air ambulance companies offer membership agreements. Officials say households pay a flat rate fee between $49 and $125 to ensure they are not paying out of pocket. Air ambulance providers say any changes to membership plans could take months to approve under former rules, but the new rule could speed up the process. Residents say the complaint-driven process means patients have to follow up on their own. It is unclear how many people would be affected by the change.

Arizona

Phoenix: Nearly three years after he was voted out of office, the former sheriff pardoned by President Donald Trump on a conviction related to rounding up immigrants in the country illegally is going after his old job. Republican Joe Arpaio announced his 2020 campaign for Maricopa County sheriff Sunday on the anniversary of his pardon in 2017 from Trump on the misdemeanor contempt of court conviction for disobeying an order to stop the immigration patrols. Arpaio, 87, spent 24 years as sheriff. In a statement, he pledged to enforce laws associated with the U.S.-Mexico border crimes and laws dealing with migrants coming into the country illegally. He also wants to reopen the outdoor tent jail complex he started that was closed by his successor, Democrat Paul Penzone.

Arkansas

Elaine: Officials are investigating after someone cut down a willow tree that was planted to honor the victims of the 1919 Elaine massacre in eastern Arkansas. The Elaine Legacy Center says the tree was chopped down at its base last week, and a memorial tag was stolen. Memphis, Tennessee, television station WMC reports that police and state parks officials are investigating. The tree was planted in April in remembrance of the victims of the massacre, which was one of the largest racial mass killings in U.S. history. It occurred during the summer of 1919, when hundreds of African Americans died at the hands of white mob violence during the “Red Summer.” Events are planned for next month to mark the 100th anniversary of the massacre in Arkansas.

California

Sacramento: State wildlife officials don’t want residents keeping nutria – invasive, semi-aquatic rodents – as pets. The California Fish and Game Commission has been trying to keep the South American nutria from spreading in the state. Now the Sacramento Bee reports the commission says it will discuss adding nutria to a list of prohibited pets. Scientists say they’ve captured hundreds as part of a $2 million plan to eradicate the animal. The orange-toothed rodents can give birth to litters of up to 12. Experts say their burrowing is damaging to waterways and flood protection infrastructure. Nutria were imported in the early 1900s for the fur trade, but the market collapsed, and the rodents escaped or were released. Small populations were eradicated in the 1970s, but nutria were again discovered in 2017.

Colorado

Durango: Archaeological ruins have been unearthed in the path of a proposed highway construction project. The Durango Herald reports well-preserved Native American ruins were discovered while surveying the Florida Mesa for realignment of the U.S. Highway 550 interchange. Researchers say ruins found south of Durango included human and animal bones and shells from the Baja region. The Colorado Department of Transportation says archaeologists have a few months before they plan to begin the $100 million construction project in spring 2020. Archaeologists say digs have turned up indigenous ceremonial sites, large pit houses and living quarters for the first time in hundreds of years. Officials say the new interchange is meant to prepare the state for increased traffic from an expected population increase.

Connecticut

Hartford: Concerns are being raised by various municipal leaders about the lack of state borrowing authorizations. They note the slowdown has affected local repaving and other transportation-related projects. Lawmakers have yet to finalize the general bonding portion of the state budget. And the State Bond Commission, which ultimately doles out the capital funding, has met twice since Gov. Ned Lamont took office in January. No meetings have been scheduled yet for the rest of the year. The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities notes that cities and towns are reliant on the state funds and are being forced to cover the cost of repaving and other projects. A spokesman for the governor says the Bond Commission can release previous unspent allocations for projects without a new bond package in place.

Delaware

Rehoboth Beach: In a bid to pay for public services without burdening its residents, the city has announced it will impose a 3% lodging tax on hotels, motels and tourist homes. The new tax, passed last week, will go into effect Jan. 1, 2020, and applies to reservations made on or after that date. City officials say it will bring in $113,000 in revenue come fiscal year 2020. That number will likely rise in later years as more hotels open and the full fiscal year plays out. Gov. John Carney signed a bill last month allowing Rehoboth officials to amend the city charter with the new tax, which piggybacks the existing statewide 8% lodging tax. That totals 11% in lodging taxes.

District of Columbia

Washington: Hundreds of students in the district are returning to school with new or updated facilities, WUSA-TV reports. Five buildings are opening after years of construction to ensure students have equal access to a 21st-century learning experience. Coolidge High School features five shared spaces areas where students and teachers can work outside the classroom. The school is equipped with smartboards in every classroom, a new atrium-style cafeteria, a day care and a community health center. As a part of the school district’s goal to ensure schools are safe and inclusive for all students, the school has several gender-neutral bathrooms. Coolidge is also introducing spaces within the building dedicated to its career academies, such as mass media and health science.

Florida

Fort Lauderdale: Five acres of a county park were unknowingly auctioned off last year to a private company, which is threatening to sue if park visitors continue to trespass. The Sun Sentinel reports that Miami-based Dorado Bells LLC won the bid for $23,900 for parts of West Lake Park in Hollywood. The auction was conducted by the Broward County tax collector’s office in April 2018 after the previous owner didn’t pay about $1,526 in back taxes. Park officials say they don’t know how the auction happened or how the parcel was originally left in private hands. The 15-foot-wide strip runs nearly 3 miles around a lake. Dorado Bells has put up makeshift fences and “No Trespassing” signs. Attorneys say the trails allow the public to trespass onto the property and must be resolved.

Georgia

Savannah: An organization dedicated to collecting and sharing documents and artifacts important to the state’s history is upgrading its Savannah research center. The Georgia Historical Society recently celebrated the kickoff of its renovation and expansion project. The group’s research center is based at Hodgson Hall, which the historical society acquired in 1876. An annex was added in 1970 to the society’s research and office space in Savannah’s historic district. The society said in a news release that the expansion now underway will improve its ability to examine, collect and share items related to Georgia history. It says the project is being supported by a gift from the Delta Air Lines Foundation, though it did not specify the amount being given.

Hawaii

Honolulu: A Spanish man claimed the title of the first person to cross the Pacific Ocean on a stand-up paddleboard after he arrived in the state. Hawaii News Now reports 42-year-old Antonio De La Rosa arrived at the Waikiki Yacht Club in Honolulu at 8 a.m. Saturday. The endurance athlete paddled away from San Francisco on June 9 in his attempt for the record. De La Rosa covered 2,500 miles of open ocean alone, using wind, currents and the power of his arms. His 24-foot vessel called Ocean Defender is a combination paddle board and small boat with a sleeping cabin, storage bins, desalination unit and solar panels for powering electronics. De La Rosa estimated the journey would take 70 days, but he completed the trip in 76 days.

Idaho

Boise: Officials say drivers have been following and harassing buses transporting the children of seasonal and migrant farmworkers for early childhood education programs in the state. The Idaho Statesman reports the Community Council of Idaho plans to remove and conceal the “Migrant and Seasonal Head Start” signs on the buses. The council says staff assumes the harassment experienced by dozens of children and bus drivers across the state stems from some people believing the migrant workers have entered the U.S. illegally. Several Head Start centers also are planning to add security cameras and tint windows on buses, as well as make playgrounds safer. The council’s Head Start programs serve about 800 children each year, generally low-income children in families working agricultural jobs.

Illinois

Chicago: A new online police tool that lists the status of people accused of gun-related crimes is getting criticism from those who say it unfairly maligns people who are presumed innocent under the law. Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson recently unveiled the “Gun Offender Dashboard” to show how quickly and easily people get out of jail. It comes after Cook County’s chief judge two years ago implemented a policy that requires judges to set affordable bail amounts for those not deemed a danger to the community. County Public Defender Amy Campanelli says the existence of such a list sends a message that people are dangerous even before they’ve had their day in court. Johnson and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot say the tool lists information already available to the public.

Indiana

Jeffersonville: A southern Indiana development board has approved bat habitat protections along a $34 million road for heavy trucks that’s under construction. The River Ridge Development Authority Board unanimously approved a resolution setting aside about 27 acres as a conservation easement for bats near the “heavy haul” corridor. The News and Tribune reports dysyr transportation officials proposed the idea amid concerns that the road project that will cut through Jeffersonville’s River Ridge Commerce Center could disrupt bat habitats just north of the Ohio River. The 4-mile-long road project will link River Ridge, the Indiana 265 interchange and the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville to improve traffic circulation. River Ridge’s executive director, Jerry Acy, says the land that’s set for conservation for bat species is “a real scenic area.”

Iowa

Des Moines: MidAmerican Energy has announced its plans to erect fast-charging stations for electric vehicles in more than a dozen cities in the state. The Des Moines-based energy company says it plans to build the publicly accessible stations, with two charging plugs per station, in 15 urban and rural communities. A DC fast-charger, also called a “Level 3” charger, can generally charge an electric vehicle in 20 to 45 minutes. MidAmerican seeks to install the stations in Altoona, Avoca, Carroll, Clarinda, Davenport, Dexter, Early, Emmetsburg and Iowa City, as well as Fort Dodge, Little Sioux, Oskaloosa, Sheldon, Sioux City and Waterloo. Once MidAmerican Energy selects site hosts, the company plans to begin building the stations by the end of the year. Charging station hosts will set their own usage fees.

Kansas

Winona: A commission has decided not to charge a $50 fee to visit a soon-to-open state park that includes a fragile landscape made up of chalky formations of spires and buttes. The Wichita Eagle reports that scheduled tours of the 330-acre Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park in western Kansas will be free. State Parks Director Linda Lanterman said at this month’s meeting of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission that the “goal is to make it affordable for all.” Backlash from the public and The Nature Conservancy drove the decision to drop the so-called backcountry access pass. The $50 fee originally was proposed as a way to deter visitors from damaging the rock formations, which date back 85 million years to when the area was covered by a giant sea. Vehicle permits will still be required.

Kentucky

Frankfort: A wall is going up between Republicans and Democrats in the Capitol. Senate President Robert Stivers says he authorized building a wall in the State Capitol Annex so that three Republicans won’t have to share office space with Democrats. Stivers says GOP members should have the ability to talk freely without being overheard. Construction of the wall is expected to cost taxpayers about $12,000. An increase in the number of Republicans elected recently has led to one office suite in the annex being shared by both parties. The Senate has 29 Republicans and nine Democrats. Some Democratic senators say the wall is divisive and a waste of money, but Sen. Julian Carroll says while he was surprised, he didn’t have a problem with it. He says Republicans and Democrats have traditionally had privacy.

Louisiana

Carencro: Hot air balloons are heading to the state’s Acadiana region for “Glow in the Cro,” a new event taking place over the Labor Day holiday weekend. Carencro’s inaugural two-night celebration is $5 to attend and will feature food trucks, carnival rides and 20 hot air balloons that will light up the sky each night for night-glow tethered rides at Pelican Park. Pelican Park Director Jim Thibodeaux and Chairman Tom Meyers say they were inspired to bring the festival to Carencro after attending the Ascension Hot Air Balloon Festival last year. They say they were impressed by the vibrancy this kind of festival brings to the public. Gates open at 4 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday. Balloon flights also are being offered.

Maine

Augusta: The state’s bears have been snooping around barrels of bait for weeks now, and they’re starting to find out how all that free food got there in the first place. The state’s annual black bear hunting seasons began Monday. Most of the hunt takes place over bait, which hunters began setting July 27 this year. Bait is usually human food, such as granola or doughnuts. The portion of the hunt during which bait is legal runs until Sept. 21. It remains legal to hunt bears until Nov. 30, but the harvest slows down dramatically at the end of bait season. It’s also legal to pursue bears with hunting dogs from Sept. 9 to Nov. 1. The state’s bear population is growing, causing some to call for new hunting laws.

Maryland

Silver Spring: Pet stores are suing to block a state law that will bar them from selling commercially bred dogs and cats, a measure billed as a check against unlicensed and substandard “puppy mills.” The federal lawsuit, filed Friday, challenges a ban set to take effect Jan. 1, 2020. Maryland is the second state, after California, to pass such restrictions on the sale of dogs and cats. The pet stores fear the ban will put them out of business. Their lawsuit says animal welfare organizations have made unfounded claims that pet stores are fueling the growth of puppy mills. The suit also claims the ban will effectively shift the sale of puppies from regulated retailers to unregulated sources. Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, signed the legislation into law in April 2018.

Massachusetts

Boston: Tom Brady has been sacked by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The Boston Globe reports the office informed lawyers for Brady’s company, TEB Capital Management Inc., on Thursday that its request to trademark the phrase “Tom Terrific” was being refused in part because it is already closely linked to another Tom – Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver. Brady’s company had filed applications to trademark the phrase for trading cards, posters, printed photographs and shirts. The trademark office wrote: “Although Tom Seaver is not connected with the goods provided by applicant under the applied-for mark, Tom Seaver is so well-known that consumers would presume a connection.” Neither Brady’s lawyers nor his agent immediately responded to the Globe’s requests for comment. Brady’s company has six months to respond.

Michigan

Monroe: The city is reviewing potential solutions to help alleviate flooding from Lake Erie onto its streets. Starting in spring, high winds in Monroe have raised the lake’s elevation several feet higher than normal on multiple occasions, according to Patrick Lewis, the city’s director of engineering and public safety. Lakes Erie and Ontario in June reached their highest points since record-keeping began in 1918, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says. Corps hydrologist Keith Kompoltowicz says three months of abnormally wet weather have kept stream flows into the Great Lakes well above average. Lewis says street flooding has been limited due to still backwaters from River Raisin and Plum Creek Bay, and the city is lucky because wave action could have caused significant damage to homes and structures along the shoreline. Some residents, meanwhile, are still experiencing flooding.

Minnesota

St. Paul: The state is closing walleye fishing on Mille Lacs Lake effective Sept. 6 so sport anglers don’t exceed the lake’s safe harvest level. The Department of Natural Resources cites high angling pressure and catch rates in July and August, when warm water increased hooking mortality and resulted in a larger-than-expected walleye kill. The DNR this year allowed anglers on the popular lake to keep one walleye through May 31 before it returned to catch-and-release-only walleye fishing. It was the first time since 2015 that Mille Lacs anglers could keep a walleye during the open-water season. Starting Sept. 6 at 12:01 a.m., anglers can’t legally target walleyes on Mille Lacs but may fish for other species.

Mississippi

Tupelo: The city has agreed to sell land to a developer for an upscale hotel downtown. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports the Tupelo City Council voted last week to sell the property to the Hattiesburg-based Thrash Group for $300,000. Either side can back out for 90 days. The city bought the land from BankPlus for $500,000, conveying it to Thrash through the Tupelo Redevelopment Authority. The location is part of the Fairpark development adjoining Tupelo’s traditional downtown area. The idea is to build a boutique, specialty hotel with 80 rooms and a restaurant. The Thrash Group plans to study the market and develop hotel plans during the 90-day period. Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton says the city has been seeking a hotel for five years or more.

Missouri

Poplar Bluff: In the market for a bridge? There are two in southeastern Missouri, free for the taking. Television station KFVS reports the Missouri Department of Transportation is offering two old bridges – one at Poplar Bluff and the other near Leeper. They are among eight bridges the department is giving away across the state. The bridges are scheduled for replacement, so the department is offering them for free to other government entities, historical and civic groups, or even private citizens. Interested parties must submit a proposal no later than June 30 describing how they will dismantle and relocate the bridge. Those costs fall to whoever takes the bridge. The bridges in southeastern Missouri include the Poplar Bluff Viaduct, a 399-foot truss bridge built in 1934, and the Route 34 Leeper Bridge, a 988-foot truss bridge built in 1933. More information may be found online.

Montana

Helena: The state enters the new school year back among those without publicly funded preschool. And education groups are a big reason why Gov. Steve Bullock’s fledgling pre-kindergarten program fizzled. The 2017 legislature approved funding for a two-year pilot program to provide preschool programming through a mix of public and private classrooms. But some of Bullock’s education allies were irritated that the program passed in a behind-the-scenes deal with Republican lawmakers on the final day of the 2017 session. After Bullock’s proposed $22 million preschool package failed to get a committee vote in 2019, he backed a compromise bill to spend $15 million on both public and private preschools. Education interests rejected that, arguing the only way to ensure equal access to preschool is to fund it through public schools. Few states fund completely public preschool.

Nebraska

Lincoln: The State Capitol courtyards should start to bloom next year as work gets underway on a long-planned landscaping project. Meanwhile, the group of former state senators who raised nearly $1.4 million for the courtyard gardens is embarking on a new venture, the Omaha World-Herald reports. Their goal this time is to explore options for developing the fifth-floor area overlooking the Capitol’s Rotunda. The area has been vacant and closed to the public for most of the building’s history. Former Sen. Bob Wickersham suggests one possibility would be to display exhibits. That’s how the space was used when it was open briefly to the public in the 1980s, says Bob Ripley, longtime administrator for the Office of the Capitol Commission. But the area required constant staff supervision to prevent people from throwing or dropping things over the railings, he says.

Nevada

Reno: Officials at the University of Nevada, Reno knew it was a bit of a gamble when they agreed to lease a downtown casino hotel tower for a year and turn it into a college dormitory. They expected some criticism but had less than six weeks to find rooms for 1,300 students after a July 5 gas explosion shut down their two biggest residence halls. But with fall classes beginning Monday, school officials say there’s been less pushback than anticipated to the unorthodox arrangement with Eldorado Resorts’ Circus Circus, a half-mile from the main campus. As of Friday, only 19 students remained on the list requesting reassignment from what’s now called “Wolf Pack Tower.” Thirty of the 89 students who originally wanted out have changed their minds. About 40 have requested transfers in, and the list is growing.

New Hampshire

Portsmouth: A historical society is hoping its art inspires young writers to craft some of their best poems, stories and plays. The Portsmouth Historical Society’s second annual Young Writers Contest will be tied to its exhibition “New Hampshire Folk Art: By the People, For the People,” at Discover Portsmouth. Students are tasked with choosing a piece from the exhibit and writing about the art or about how it inspired them. The writing can take any form as long as the piece is connected to the exhibition. Judges will read and evaluate each entry on its content, creativity, expression, clarity, quality and connection to the original artwork. Prizes will be awarded at a ceremony Sept. 27 at Discover Portsmouth. Entries must be submitted by Sept. 21.

New Jersey

Newark: The state’s biggest city on Monday announced a plan to borrow $120 million to dramatically cut the time it will take to replace pipes causing elevated lead levels in drinking water. City, state and county officials said the plan is expected to cut the time from 10 years to under 30 months to replace about 18,000 lead lines in Newark. The announcement came about two weeks after the city began distributing water bottles to residents in about 14,000 homes. Water from two houses tested positive for lead above the federal threshold of 15 parts per billion. The plan depends on approval by city and county officials, who are expected to vote on the $120 million bond proposal Tuesday. Authorities had called on the federal government to help but said Monday they would move forward with their own plan.

New Mexico

Santa Fe: The state will limit licensed medical marijuana providers to 1,750 mature cannabis plants, a drop from the 2,500 plants allowed under an expiring emergency state rule. The Albuquerque Journal reports the new rules adopted by state Health Secretary Kathy Kunkel take effect Tuesday. The changes also include an increase to the annual licensing fee for producers and the elimination of the $50 fee for replacing lost patient identification cards. Ultra Health CEO Duke Rodriguez says the plant limit will exacerbate a medical marijuana shortage and ultimately hurt patients. Ultra Health is one of 35 medical cannabis producers in the state. Department of Health spokesman David Morgan says the department has been transparent about the plant count, and the proposed rule was published in June.

New York

Tuxedo: The latest weapon in the fight against invasive species is the sniffing power of dogs trained to find noxious weeds before they flower and spread seeds. The nonprofit New York-New Jersey Trail Conference has trained a Labrador retriever named Dia to find Scotch broom plants in two state parks 50 miles north of New York City. The invasive shrub is widespread in the Pacific Northwest but new to New York, and land managers hope to eradicate it before it gets established. Detection dogs have long been used to sniff out drugs, explosives and disaster survivors. Now a growing number are being trained to find targeted invasive plants so conservationists can uproot them. Montana-based Working Dogs for Conservation is training dogs to find invasive insects and mussels as well as plants.

North Carolina

Charlotte: A local teen has helped more than a dozen people who lined up to buy a chicken sandwich get the chance to line up at the polls. News outlets report 17-year-old David Ledbetter says he registered 16 people to vote at a Popeye’s restaurant in Charlotte on Saturday. Many people have flocked to Popeye’s nationwide to try the new menu item. A tweet announcing the sandwich’s release sparked a Twitter war with Chick-fil-A and Wendy’s. Consumers have been comparing chicken sandwiches sold at the fast-food restaurants. Ledbetter isn’t old enough to vote himself but says he noticed a lack of young people involved in politics. He says he was happy to find the majority of chicken sandwich lovers waiting in the drive-thru were already registered.

North Dakota

Stanton: Generations ago, it wasn’t unusual to hear the native languages of Hidatsa and Arikara spoken in the state. But experts estimate fewer than 65 people in the world today are fluent in Hidatsa and Arikara. After the last fluent Mandan speaker passed away in 2016, tribal elders are now educating future generations to keep what’s left of the languages alive. KFRY-TV reports some remaining speakers of those Northern Plains tribal languages gathered at Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site in Stanton at a native language summit Saturday. The site’s culture resource program manager, Alisha Deegan, says it was a “pretty powerful and wonderful experience.” The historic site is open year-round.

Ohio

Columbus: A report highlighting racial disparities in use of force by police in the state capital has prompted promises from local leaders to address the issue. Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said at a recent news conference that the city must make improvements. The internal report found about half of the police department’s 438 incidents involving use of force in 2017 were directed against black people, who only make up 28% of the city’s population. Ginther, a Democrat, tells The Columbus Dispatch changing a community’s culture takes time, but the commitment to reform is there. The president of the Fraternal Order of Police lodge that represents Columbus police says officers are “more than happy to improve” relations with the public. But Keith Ferrell says the public also should take some responsibility for confrontations.

Oklahoma

Tulsa: Authorities say a security guard at a gas station shot and wounded a man who was swinging an Australian musical instrument at him. Tulsa police said the shooting happened late Saturday at a QuikTrip convenience store in Tulsa. They say the security guard said he opened fire after the man “swung a large wooden club at him” that was later determined to be a didgeridoo. Police say that according to witnesses, the man may have also had a knife. Police say the man was shot once in the groin area but is expected to recover. The security guard told investigators that the shooting was in self-defense. Police say surveillance video appears to back up that claim.

Oregon

Salem: The state’s criminal justice system would be “overwhelmed” if the U.S. Supreme Court rules in an upcoming case that nonunanimous jury verdicts are unconstitutional, Oregon’s attorney general has told the court. Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said in an amicus brief that if the U.S. Supreme Court finds nonunanimous juries unconstitutional, it could invalidate hundreds or even thousands of convictions. Oregon is the only state in America allowing 11-1 or 10-2 jury verdicts in criminal trials, except first-degree murder convictions. Critics say Rosenblum is defending a system that should be abandoned – as voters in Louisiana, the only other state that permitted nonunanimous verdicts, did in 2018.

Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh: A hospital’s obstetrics department became Ozstetrics as the staff dressed up four newborns as characters from “The Wizard of Oz.” Allegheny Heath Network’s West Penn Hospital wanted to honor the 80th anniversary of the film. The hospital posted photos on social media. Genevieve Dunkin, daughter of Taylor and Mark Dunkin of Hampton Township, was Dorothy. Jack Minett, son of Brittany and Lewis Minett of Wexford, was the scarecrow. Andrew Gianettino, son of Jennie and Anthony Gianettino of Peters Township, was the Cowardly Lion. Wesley Lynch, son of Lindsey and Andrew Lynch of Hampton Township, was the Tin Man. The hospital says the babies will soon learn there’s no place like home.

Rhode Island

Providence: Environmental officials are asking for the public’s input on the state’s forests. The Department of Environmental Management says feedback from an online survey will be used to develop strategies to conserve forest landscapes, protect forests from harm, and enhance public benefits from trees and forests. DEM Director Janet Coit says officials are hoping to hear from people who own forestland, appreciate forest landscapes or engage in recreational activities in forests. The survey closes Aug. 31. The State Forest Action Plan, first completed in 2010, must be updated every 10 years. The revision to the plan will include an assessment of the condition of trees and forests within state boundaries.

South Carolina

Hilton Head Island: Some neighbors living near a proposed go-kart track on Hilton Head Island say it’s a tacky idea that turns their island closer to Myrtle Beach. The town’s zoning board approved the track, saying there is nothing in the rules against it. The Island Packet of Hilton Head reports the Town Council reviewed the decision last week and let it stand, allowing the property owner to apply to the town’s design review board and start construction. The track will be built at Aerial Adventure Park, which already has a zip line. Neighbors in a nearby gated community say they are already bothered by the screaming from the zip line, and the electric go karts will make it worse. One neighbor said she didn’t move to Myrtle Beach because of the noise and tackiness.

South Dakota

Sioux Falls: The former bookkeeper for two local dental practices has been ordered to pay more than $100,000 in restitution for embezzling from her former employer. Cheryl Callies also was sentenced Monday to 90 days of jail time, which can be served with electronic monitoring. Callies also received a five-year suspended prison sentence. Callies was accused of embezzling nearly $122,000 from Montoya Dental Office before it became 10th Street Dental. She continued to work at the practice and embezzled more than $8,000 after the business changed hands. Prosecutors say Callies admitted adjusting payment records at the businesses in order to receive cash. The embezzlement occurred from 2011 to 2018. KELO-TV reports court records say Callies told investigators she was stealing money for video lottery and because of “payday loans and loneliness.”

Tennessee

Nashville: Gov. Bill Lee says he doesn’t feel compelled to witness an execution as the state continues to put people to death. Lee, a Republican, was offered a witness seat after he declined to stop the past two executions since taking over Tennessee’s top political office in January. Three more executions are scheduled to take place through early 2020. Lee told reporters last week that he has considered witnessing an execution in his lifetime. But he said he has not felt the need to do so in his time as Tennessee governor. A media witness to an execution last week said afterward that he was “taking a break” and offered his seat to the governor. Governors have a key role in deciding whether to intervene in a death penalty case.

Texas

Galveston: A committee is calling on the city to provide better public beach access, more parking and new dune protection standards. The Galveston County Daily News reports that the beach access and dune protection committee presented its suggestions to the Galveston City Council on Thursday after roughly a year of work that included visiting each beach access point. The committee’s report aims to create standards to bring Galveston beaches back into compliance with the city’s own access plan and to protect beaches from erosion or other destruction. Committee member Chula Ross-Sanchez says efficiently managing beaches is crucial for the health of the Gulf Coast and to continue attracting more than 7 million visitors yearly to Galveston. Residents have complained about unmanageable crowds of tourists at some of the city’s beaches.

Utah

Ogden: A mixed-use recreation trail has been developing across the state with new projects through two northern counties. The Standard-Examiner reports counties partnered with the U.S. Forest Service to develop a 280-mile trail along the shoreline of prehistoric Lake Bonneville. Officials say about 24 of 27 miles of trail were completed in Weber County, and an environmental study is underway to begin 39 more miles in Davis County. Officials say the Davis trail would run through mostly federal land and would require new construction where no trail existed before. Officials say construction could begin by the end of 2019 and last until 2023. Lake Bonneville covered most of present-day Utah and extended into parts of Idaho and Nevada.

Vermont

Windham: The National Weather Service says a tornado that recently hit the Green Mountain State was the state’s first since 2012. WPTZ-TV reports the high-end EF1 tornado that was on the ground for less than a mile in Windham on Aug. 21 received an estimated maximum wind speed of 105 to 110 miles per hour. The tornado violently snapped or uprooted dozens of trees and left several homes with roof and shingle damage. Vermont’s last prior confirmed tornado was May 29, 2012, in Orleans County.

Virginia

Richmond: Law enforcement agencies across the state will be monitoring 120 checkpoints in the lead-up to Labor Day as part of a campaign to combat driving under the influence. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports this year’s 18th annual Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign is the largest effort in years. Officials hope to combat last year’s increase in alcohol-related traffic deaths. Ninety-eight agencies statewide are participating. The campaign began Aug. 16 and will run until Sept. 3. Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor says penalties for drunken driving in Virginia include a mandatory ignition interlock installation on the offender’s vehicle, up to a year of driver’s license suspension and jail time, and up to $2,500 in fines.

Washington

Seattle: The Trump administration is opposing the state’s effort to make a privately run, for-profit immigration detention center pay detainees minimum wage for the work they do. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued The GEO Group in 2017, saying its Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma must pay the state minimum wage to detainees who perform kitchen, laundry, janitorial, maintenance and barbershop tasks. The lawsuit seeks to force GEO to turn over profits it gained by underpaying them – an amount that could reach into the millions. U.S. District Judge Robert Bryan has already issued some key rulings in the state’s favor. But in a “statement of interest” filed last week, the Justice Department called the lawsuit “an aggressive and legally unjustified effort by the State of Washington to interfere with federal immigration enforcement.”

West Virginia

Fairmont: A Fairmont State University graduate will be remembered at a concert featuring storytellers from the West Virginia Storytelling Guild next week. The event is in memory of D. Jane Gilchrist, who earned a bachelor’s with an emphasis in folklore and a master’s in education. She worked at the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State and later for AmeriCorps in Arthurdale and Huntington. She taught weaving and owned a studio. She died March 8. The memorial is at 2 p.m. Sept. 7 at the Folklife Center.

Wisconsin

Madison: Attorney General Josh Kaul is warning that a resurgence of online vigilantes posing as children to trap and embarrass sexual predators is hampering police efforts. Groups have taken to the internet posing as children interested in sex with adults. If an adult shows up to meet the child, the groups walk up to them and ask why they want to have sex with children while posting the encounter online. Kaul issued a news release Monday saying Wisconsin is experiencing a “resurgence” of such groups. He says such activity puts everyone involved in danger and can ruin investigations because the would-be offenders go home and wipe their computers of evidence. State Division of Criminal Investigations Director Matt Joy said he had no statistics on such vigilante groups’ activity in Wisconsin.

Wyoming

Jackson: Park officials have approved a plan to bring high-speed internet into the Grand Teton National Park. The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports the National Park Service authorized a proposal Aug. 15 to build a network of nine cell towers and 63 miles of a new fiber-optic line between Flagg Ranch, Moose and Kelly. Park officials say multiple telecommunication companies proposed the plan to wire the park, and the scope of the infrastructure is unprecedented within the National Park System. Officials say new signals are expected to cover portions of the adjacent Teton Wilderness. Advocacy groups and residents question the importance of internet in the woods. Officials say construction could begin this fall, but the bulk of it is expected to be built in 2020.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: News from around our 50 states