Nina Simone’s house, Mark Twain’s frogs, Hawaii’s royals: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Montgomery: After 15 inmate suicides in 15 months, a federal judge ruled Saturday that the state is putting prisoners in danger by failing to provide adequate suicide-prevention measures. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson wrote that there are “severe and systemic inadequacies” in the Alabama Department of Corrections’ care of inmates and that the facts behind recent suicides show unconstitutional conditions persist in state prisons. “It is true that, as in the free world, not all suicides can be prevented. But this reality in no way excuses ADOC’s substantial and pervasive suicide-prevention inadequacies. Unless and until ADOC lives up to its Eighth Amendment obligations, avoidable tragedies will continue,” Thompson wrote at the conclusion of the 210-page opinion. Thompson noted some “promising” measures but said they were “too little, too late.”

Alaska

Bethel: A company is investing in development programs for youths and others to fulfill its promise to hire local workers for a proposed gold mine project. Alaska’s Energy Desk reports Donlin Gold is funding Yuut Elitnaurviat, a workforce development organization in Bethel. Two Native corporations own the mineral rights and land for the prospective gold mine 280 miles northwest of Anchorage. The project is expected to last up to 27 years. Donlin spends $1 million annually on programs like Yuut Elitnaurviat and Excel Alaska, which train rural Alaskans for jobs near home. Excel Alaska takes students as young as seventh grade and tailors sessions to fit the skills each one needs to obtain a job in his or her village, providing training through high school.

Arizona

Phoenix: Time is running out: May 12 is the last day to explore “Electric Desert,” the immersive light-and-sound exhibition at the Desert Botanical Garden. But the garden has already announced its next blockbuster art show, an installation of more than 1,000 animal sculptures by the Italian collective Cracking Art. “Electric Desert,” created by Philadelphia-based Klip Collective, projects kaleidoscopic light designs onto Sonoran Desert flora. It’s the latest in a line of ambitious outdoor installations at the garden, one of the Valley’s top attractions. Next up is Cracking Art’s “Wild Rising,” a menagerie of animals sculpted in brightly colored, recyclable plastic. Opening Oct. 10, it will comprise 13 installations throughout the garden, including penguins hanging out with saguaros, gray wolves on guard duty and snails perched on the butte.

Arkansas

Little Rock: Officials have formally signed off on the state’s first medical marijuana dispensary, and it could be less than a week before cultivators expect to have product ready for sale. Department of Finance and Administration spokesman Scott Hardin said Friday that Hot Springs dispensary Doctor’s Orders RX has been officially awarded the state’s approval. The dispensary had been inspected by Alcoholic Beverage Control, which regulates medical marijuana, and by the fire marshal. Hardin says Green Springs Medical, another Hot Springs dispensary, is scheduled for inspection Thursday. He says if it meets the qualifications, it could receive approval before Sunday, when cultivator BOLD Team expects to have its first harvest ready for sale. Two other cultivators expect to harvest by the summer.

California

Yosemite National Park: Red-legged frogs made famous by Mark Twain are thriving in Yosemite Valley after a decades­long absence. Officials said Monday that they have documented the first breeding by the frogs in Yosemite since 2017, when adult red-legged frogs were first reintroduced after a 50-year absence. Yosemite National Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds says ecologists found clusters of eggs in meadows and ponds this spring even though it normally takes years to see such results. The California red-legged frog is named for its colorful legs and belly. It was featured in Twain’s short story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” The frog disappeared from Yosemite in part because non-native, predatory bullfrogs first introduced to a reflection pond spread throughout the valley and, over time, gobbled them up.

Colorado

Silverton: A tourist railroad has commenced service, bringing hope to businesses that have been isolated by weather events. The Durango Herald reports that the first Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad engine of 2019 arrived Saturday in Silverton, depositing dozens of tourists in the mountain town. Business owners in the community 324 miles southwest of Denver have suffered the economic consequences of winter avalanches that closed access along U.S. Route 550 for weeks. That followed a month and a half of train cancellations caused by the 416 Fire, a wildfire that burned 54,000 acres north of Durango beginning in June 2018. Hundreds of people were evacuated. The fire caused tens of thousands of train reservation cancellations, with at least one Silverton business owner reporting sales were down 70%.

Connecticut

Storrs: Firefighters have rescued eight ducklings from a storm drain on the University of Connecticut campus. The school says bystanders walking near the chemistry building called the fire department after noticing a mother duck and two ducklings crying outside the drain Sunday evening. The school says a firefighter attached to a safety rope used a ladder to reach six of the eight ducklings and bring them out. The other two had made their way down a drain pipe. Crews lured those two out using a cord attached to small dish filled with Rice Krispies. The school says the duck family was reunited and has returned to a nearby lake.

Delaware

Lewes: A home on the market for $1.45 million can be tied directly to the American Revolution and the founding of the nation’s government. Dubbed the Thomas Rodney house, it was first owned by a man who was the brother of Caesar Rodney, famously known for riding to Philadelphia despite being very ill to sign the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Rodney’s home was built in 1775. He served as a military leader, Continental Congressman, justice of the Delaware Supreme Court, speaker of the Delaware House and first federal judge of the Mississippi Territory, appointed by then-President Thomas Jefferson. The house was also once the home of the chief diver of the U.S. Navy and, in the 20th century, the summer home of Ben Fogey, then the architectural critic of the Washington Post.

District of Columbia

Washington: A new exhibit at an unconventional gallery in the district celebrates barbershop culture and even offers free haircuts, WTOP-FM reports. The Mobile Art Gallery, from nonprofit organization CulturalDC, has unveiled The Barbershop Project, which artist Devan Shimoyama says was inspired by his own experiences as a gay man of color visiting barbershops. The inclusive exhibit also incorporates paintings and silk flowers alongside the functioning barbershop. “There’s furniture that’s been made specifically for that space so that people can come and hang out,” Kristi Maiselman, executive director of CulturalDC, tells WTOP-FM. “So it’s a welcoming space for people to come and gather and tell stories.”

Florida

Brevard: “The Right Stuff,” a new television series adapted from Tom Wolfe’s iconic account of the early days of the U.S. space program, will start filming this fall on the Space Coast. Leonardo DiCaprio will be one of the executive producers of “The Right Stuff.” Appian Way Productions, a film and television production company founded by DiCaprio, is collaborating on the project with National Geographic Partners LLC and Warner Horizon Scripted Television. Space Coast Film Commissioner Bonnie King believes “The Right Stuff” will be the first scripted television series filmed in Brevard County since “The Cape,” which aired in 1996 and 1997. King says she’s pleased the Space Coast was selected as a filming location because “this is where it all happened.”

Georgia

Atlanta: State transportation officials are planning a series of public meetings amid preparations for new toll lanes on the perimeter that encircles the city. The Georgia Department of Transportation plans seven public meetings to provide information on the proposed lanes on the “top end” of Interstate 285. They’re planned from the stretch from Paces Ferry Road in Cobb County to Henderson Road in DeKalb County. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the plan would add two toll lanes in each direction on that stretch of I-285. Toll lanes are also planned on Georgia 400, from the Perimeter to the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority’s North Springs station. Other plans involve Interstate 20. The meetings are planned May 14-23 in communities including Doraville, Chamblee, Smyrna, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody and Brookhaven.

Hawaii

Lihue: Statues of past island royalty will soon begin their reign in front of a museum in the city. The Garden Island reports statues of the last king and queen of Kauai and Niihau were expected to be unveiled in a ceremony Saturday at the Kauai Museum in Lihue. The museum and archive on the eastern side of Kauai focuses on the indigenous and immigrant people of the two islands. Kauai residents Billy and Luella Lemn conceived the idea, and Billy Lemn produced the drawings of King Kaumualii and Queen Deborah Kapule that are being used as a basis for the life-sized statues by Chris O’Conner of Kauai. Prototypes are standing in while the real statues remain under construction. The museum’s director says the project will generate interest in local history.

Idaho

Boise: The governor has announced the pardoning of two men convicted of drug charges in the 1980s. The Idaho Press reports Gov. Brad Little on Friday granted his first two pardons since taking office in January to Fred Charles Wiley of Elmore County and Kenneth James Taylor of Pocatello. Wiley was convicted of delivery of a controlled substance in 1981 and completed parole in 1985. He has since become a successful businessman, running a motorcycle business that has serviced the Boise Police Department’s fleet and donating to local charities. Taylor in 1982 was also convicted of drug delivery, completing his sentence in 1998. Taylor then earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees to work as a substance abuse and domestic violence counselor, volunteering with veterans, in Narcotics Anonymous and in jails.

Illinois

Chicago: Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he’s reached an agreement with key lawmakers on a plan to legalize recreational marijuana in the state starting next year. The legislation would allow adults 21 and older to legally buy cannabis for recreational use from licensed dispensaries. Illinois residents could possess up to about an ounce of marijuana, while nonresidents could possess about half an ounce. The measure also would automatically expunge some marijuana convictions. If it passes, Illinois would join 10 other states, including neighboring Michigan, in legalizing recreational marijuana. While the Illinois law would take effect Jan. 1, the first licenses for Illinois growers, processors and dispensaries wouldn’t be issued until May and July 2020, the governor’s office said. The deal comes after years of discussion among state legislators.

Indiana

Porter: Tourism officials are hoping the recent elevation of the Indiana Dunes to national park status will lure more visitors to the scenic stretch of dunes, woods and beaches in northwestern Indiana. The dunes, which were formed over 10,000 years ago, are mounds of sand that can reach altitudes of up to almost 200 feet. The former national lakeshore, which some view as North America’s most biodiverse area, became the state’s first national park in February. Since then, the Indianapolis Business Journal reports that Indiana Dunes National Park workers have received calls from people around the nation wanting to visit the park. The national park includes 15,000 acres of woodlands, prairies, savannas, bogs, wetlands and sand dunes along Lake Michigan just east of Gary.

Iowa

Des Moines: Outdoor enthusiasts will soon have an option to place an organ donor sticker on their hunting and fishing licenses under a new law signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds. It’s called Logan’s Law after Logan Luft, of Charles City, who died at age 15 in 2017 after an all-terrain vehicle crash. Luft, who enjoyed hunting and fishing, had decided to be an organ donor, and his family says that decision saved the lives of five people who received his organs. His father, Leonard Luft, and other relatives sought the bill in his memory after seeing organ donor stickers on hunting and fishing licenses in Minnesota. The bill, which passed unanimously, requires the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to include organ donor information in hunting safety courses and to provide the designation of organ donor on license applications.

Kansas

Salina: Officials estimate it will cost $95 million to clean up pollution at the Schilling Air Force Base. Kansas Department of Health and Environment officials discussed the cleanup with Salina residents last week. The Salina Journal reports once the state finalizes its remediation plan, the federal government and four local public entities will divide the costs of cleaning the soil and groundwater. The pollution happened more than 50 years ago when toxic chemicals were used to clean airplanes at the base, which was operated by the U.S. Department of Defense from 1942 to 1966. Those chemicals ended up in the soil beneath the base. After the base closed, the land was given to the Kansas Board of Regents, the local school district, the Salina Airport Authority and the city of Salina.

Kentucky

Louisville: Tourism advocates are celebrating a win this month after the city posted the nation’s largest increase in hotel demand – 11.4% – during this year’s first quarter. While the data from CBRE Hotels Americas Research focuses on a relatively limited year-over-year snapshot of January through March, convention and hotel industry experts say the fact that Louisville has added hotel rooms and still registered a jump in demand is notable. The numbers didn’t surprise Louisville Tourism, the agency that oversees convention and tourism activities. An increase in overall bookings by leisure tourists and conventions early this year has followed the 2018 opening of the Omni Louisville Hotel and the Kentucky International Convention Center’s relaunch after a $207 million renovation and expansion.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University engineering students have designed and made a motorized wheelchair with three fat wheels so a 23-year-old woman can go to the beach with her family. Last year’s seniors were unable to provide a beach wheelchair for Cheslyn Simpson of Plaquemine but left their plans. This year’s group started with much fatter wheels. They added a cup holder, cooler, Bluetooth music player and headlights. Project leader Daniel Lucas says the students involved the community and raised awareness. They delivered the chair last Tuesday. Simpson has a genetic disease called Friedreich’s ataxia. In 2017, her speech therapists suggested she write an essay asking for help through LSU’s senior capstone design program.

Maine

Portland: Members of the seaweed industry say a court ruling could dramatically change the nature of the business in the state, which has seen the harvest of the gooey stuff grow by leaps and bounds in the past decade. Maine has a long tradition of seaweed harvesting, in which the sticky algae is gathered for a variety of commercial uses, including popular food products. But the state’s highest court ruled last month that permission from coastal landowners is needed for harvesting rockweed, a type of seaweed critical to the industry. The Maine Seaweed Council has called the ruling “a disappointing setback” that will force harvesters to adjust. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court’s ruling was an outgrowth of a lawsuit involving Acadian Seaplants, a Canadian company with harvesting operations in rural Down East Maine.

Maryland

Baltimore: A once-common farm pesticide may be to blame for dozens of bald eagles poisoned over the past three years in Maryland and Delaware. The Baltimore Sun reports that U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service data shows pesticides were a suspected or confirmed factor in about 50 deaths of the national bird between 2008 and 2017. There have been about two dozen bald eagles poisoned to death on the Delmarva Peninsula over the past three years, including at least seven in the past two months. Maryland Natural Resources Police Lt. Roy Rafter said the illegal chemical carbofuran killed some of the birds. Authorities say they think old stocks of the pesticide are being used to kill foxes and other farm pests, but it harms the eagles that scavenge the dead animal remains.

Massachusetts

Boston: Wildlife officials are launching a three-year project to help conserve wood turtles in eastern Massachusetts. The turtles were once common in the cool, free-flowing streams of the Merrimack River Valley, but their populations have declined so much that they are now protected under the state’s Endangered Species Act. Populations closest to Boston have experienced some of the biggest declines as residential development has increased. MassWildlife is teaming with Zoo New England to launch the initiative, which includes searching stream habitats to find wood turtles, tracking movement patterns with radio telemetry, and identifying areas where wood turtles might establish populations in northeastern Massachusetts. The turtles grow to 6 to 8 inches long and can live more than 70 years, although few survive to maturity, with many struck by cars.

Michigan

Detroit: A winery that opened last week in an old Stroh’s building has become the city’s first winery in 60 years. Detroit Vineyards opened its doors Friday in the former Stroh’s Ice Cream facility, which still boasts the company’s large, green sign. Winery co-founder by Blake Kownacki says it was essential to keep the sign because “it’s emblematic for the city” and is now being used to the advantage of the new business. The winery is open seven days a week and features wines made from Detroit-grown grapes, including white and red wine, rose, mead and cider. Part of the old Stroh’s building is used as the winery’s barrel room.

Minnesota

St. Cloud: A new pilot program authorized by the state Supreme Court in early March will increase Minnesotans’ access to help with the justice system by early 2020. Legal experts planned to meet last week, according to Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea, to begin discussing the possibilities of how the program should be run. The project will be limited to one of three areas of unmet need in civil law, according to the order – housing disputes, family law or creditor-debtor disputes. The pilot project would expand the roles of legal paraprofessionals in the selected area, cutting costs on routine cases and making legal help more accessible for low-income Minnesotans, says Maren Schroeder, the director of positions and issues at the Minnesota Paralegal Association.

Mississippi

Meridian: Singer-songwriter Steve Forbert is being honored in his hometown. Forbert attended a ceremony in Meridian as the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience museum unveiled a star on its walk of fame Saturday. The 64-year-old Forbert is a Meridian native best known for his 1979 single “Romeo’s Tune.” He was joined by relatives and friends, including his 96-year-old father, Sam Forbert, at an event forced indoors by rain. Forbert says he appreciates his Mississippi roots, telling The Meridian Star that “21 years of whatever’s in the water – I got it.” The event was part of Meridian’s Jimmy Rodgers Festival, an annual music festival saluting the country music pioneer. Forbert was the headliner for the festival’s closing night.

Missouri

Springfield: Missouri State University has signed off on a $2.2 million Ozarks Education Center that will be built on the shores of Bull Shoals Lake. The project includes a classroom meeting space that can accommodate about 40 students and two small cabin “pods” where eight to 10 students or researchers can stay while conducting research projects related to the Ozarks’ environment. Janice Greene, MSU professor of biology, says the Ozarks Education Center will be built on land donated to MSU and is situated far from any towns to help produce an atmosphere conducive to field research. It will complement the Bull Shoals Field Station across the lake that has been used for many years to teach about the Ozarks environment and do research on Ozarks environmental issues.

Montana

Heart Butte: A Blackfeet man’s DNA is the oldest ever found on the continent, according to a testing company. Darrell “Dusty” Crawford’s results trace his ancestry back 17,000 years in the Americas. Crawford had his DNA tested through CRI Genetics, which aims to provide customers with a “biogeographical ancestry,” a description of where their genes fit into the overall story of the species. For Crawford, the company traced his line back 55 generations with a 99% accuracy rate – rare, as the ancestry often is clouded that far back, according to the company. It was so unlikely, CRI told him, as to be like finding Bigfoot. Crawford’s DNA story suggests his ancestors likely came not across the Bering Land Bridge but from the Pacific, traveling to the coast of South America and then heading north, according to CRI.

Nebraska

Omaha: Pedestrians and drivers may have to make way for electric scooter riders on the city’s sidewalks and streets as soon as this week. The Omaha World-Herald reports that the City Council will vote Tuesday on a pilot project to bring up to 1,500 dockless scooters to the city through November. Scooter companies Lime and Spin say they could make the electric scooters available as early as Wednesday. The scooters are equipped with GPS so users can track them down for rent through a smartphone app. Many officials have expressed support for the project, but there’s some hesitation about how the scooters are operated and parked. Council member Chris Jerram is concerned about scooters being left on streets, in parking spots or near business entrances.

Nevada

Las Vegas: A casino company and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, say they’re partnering to create a teaching and practice space featuring a mock casino, hotel rooms, sports betting area and esports arena. Caesars Entertainment Corp. and UNLV have dubbed the center “Black Fire Innovation,” and officials say it’ll provide a supermarket-sized space to host, develop and commercialize hospitality products and ideas. It’s slated to be built at UNLV’s Harry Reid Research and Technology Park southwest of the Las Vegas Strip. Officials say the two-story facility will include a student lab, work space, and a replica resort and casino with slot machines and table games. Financial details of the partnership weren’t disclosed. The technology park is a mixed-use center currently home to a charter school and a pharmaceutical company.

New Hampshire

Concord: It won’t take effect in time for this summer’s boating season, but a bill aimed at preventing the spread of invasive aquatic weeds in the state’s lakes is headed to the governor’s desk. The Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would enable state agencies and communities that own public boat access facilities to provide garden hoses and other cleaning equipment to prevent the spread of milfoil and other invasive weeds. Boaters would be required to clean their boats before and after using the lake. Violators would face fines. Sen. Jeb Bradley, whose district includes the state’s largest lake, says prevention is the best and most cost-effective way to limit invasive milfoil. If signed by Gov. Chris Sununu, the bill will take effect Jan. 1.

New Jersey

Lakewood: The public school district’s newest hire has a spiky white mane and apparently can’t tell a carrot from a microphone. Peanut the pony, who strutted into Lakewood High School last week, and his horse pals will be paid $45 an hour to provide therapy to special education preschool students in the public schools. He made his debut in Lakewood the same night neighboring Toms River Regional voted to cut staff – a real-life example of winners and losers in the state’s approach to school funding and a contrast that doesn’t sit well for some. The Lakewood Board of Education will hold a public hearing on its $171.5 million budget, which includes the additional aid, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Lakewood High School. Unfortunately, Peanut is not slated to attend.

New Mexico

Farmington: The stars of the latest installment in the “Jumanji” franchise have posted to social media about their experiences while filming in the state. The cast and crew of the forthcoming “Jumanji” sequel have completed filming in Farmington. Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jack Black shared photos and videos on Instagram and YouTube about their time in the city 182 miles north of Albuquerque. Hart and Johnson expressed gratitude and admiration for the Navajo Nation. Johnson trained at Defined Fitness and said that while he required security to hold back overzealous fans, he can “highly recommend” the gym. Black filmed himself playing – and losing – shuffleboard among the locals at Three Rivers Tap & Game Room. “It’s a rad little town,” Black said.

New York

Albany: Gov. Andrew Cuomo will push lawmakers to pass legislation allowing farmworkers to unionize, the state’s top labor official said during a farmworker rally outside the Capitol on Monday. The bill, known as the Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act, would repeal an 80-year-old state law that prohibits farmworkers from organizing to seek better wages or conditions. It would also guarantee disability benefits and overtime pay. “Our governor believes farm workers should never be treated as second-class citizens,” Labor Commission Roberta Reardon told a group of a few dozen farmworkers, relatives and labor advocates. Similar legislation never got a vote in previous years, when Republicans controlled the state Senate. Supporters are more optimistic this year, following a Democratic takeover of the state Senate. Farmworkers argue they deserve the same labor rights as workers in other industries.

North Carolina

Tryon: A house in this small town is being restored to preserve the home and honor its most famous ex-tenant – the late music and civil rights icon Nina Simone. The nearly 90-year-old home where Simone grew up in Tryon, north of the city’s downtown, is being stabilized after years of neglect that nearly saw the structure demolished. Workers from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s HOPE Crew plan to spend much of May replacing and painting exterior siding on the 660-square-foot structure ahead of additional work on windows, interior and the roof. Tiffany Tolbert, a senior field officer for the National Trust, says it’s the start of a significant rehabilitation effort that ends with a strategy for implementing arts and culture programming into the home’s future.

North Dakota

Zap: This small community is planning a celebration to remember spring break 1969, when thousands of college students descended for a party that ended with the National Guard clearing out crowds. The Minot Daily News reports organizers are planning a more family-oriented event Saturday to celebrate the original “Zip to Zap” party in the town 90 miles northwest of Bismarck 50 years ago. The idea was hatched by a North Dakota State University student for students across the state who couldn’t afford a spring break trip to Florida. The estimated 3,000 young people who reportedly trashed Zap led to a response by the National Guard and other law enforcement. The anniversary event will involve a 5K race, a car show and concerts.

Ohio

Cincinnati: The Neil Armstrong Space Exploration Gallery, a new permanent space at the Cincinnati Museum Center, opened Monday, celebrating the legacy of Apollo 11 crew members, especially Armstrong, the mission commander and Ohio native. The space includes interactive elements, original artifacts and equipment, as well as an immersive theater. The gallery will expand in 2020 to include more interactive and virtual reality elements, as well as live NASA briefings and information. A lunar sample on view was presented to Armstrong by NASA officials in honor of his role in the pioneering space program and then donated to the Cincinnati Museum Center. Curators even put footprints in the carpet that look like the ones Armstrong left behind on the lunar surface.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: Tax officials say medical marijuana sales in the state topped $18 million last month, marking the seventh straight month of growth for the new industry. The Oklahoma Tax Commission reported Monday that the state collected more than $1.2 million in April from the 7% excise tax on marijuana that is in addition to state and local sales tax also collected from medical cannabis sales. Marijuana sales have grown significantly each month since dispensaries began selling the product in October. The number of people eligible to obtain the drug also is continuing to climb. The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority says it has approved more than 104,000 patient licenses since August and has licensed more than 1,400 dispensaries and 2,700 commercial growers.

Oregon

Salem: Turtles illegally dumped at Minto-Brown Island Park are threatening to push out native turtles as the creatures square off over nesting grounds and other natural necessities. The battle has led the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to euthanize countless red-eared slider turtles, which are native to the eastern United States and known for the distinct red stripes near their eyes. Red-eared sliders are vying with Oregon-native western painted turtles and western pond turtles for nesting sites, habitat and food supplies, according to wildlife officials. Western painted turtles and western pond turtles have been listed as “sensitive” species with the state, according to the Oregon Conservation Strategy. The western pond turtle’s federal status is under review, according to the Environmental Conservation Online System.

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia: One of the spectacles of summer has returned. Through June 20, the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival will defy city noise and traffic to transform a park at the base of the Ben Franklin Bridge into something that feels more like a Disney fantasy attraction. Among the 29 larger-than-life displays are a brilliantly lit pagoda, walk-through dragon tunnel and 200-foot-long phoenix. Nighttime guests also will find Asian and American food, Chinese folk crafts and a beer garden, as well as performances and artisan demonstrations each night. Proceeds from the festival go to Historic Philadelphia Inc. and help fund the management of the Franklin Square park and its 80 free events each year.

Rhode Island

Providence: The city is partnering with federal officials to conserve birds and their habitats. Democratic Mayor Jorge Elorza joined U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and other officials Monday to sign an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designating Providence as an Urban Bird Treaty City. Thirty cities currently hold this designation. The fish and wildlife service says it aims to bring together government agencies, nongovernmental organizations and schools to create bird-friendly environments and provide residents, especially youth, with opportunities to connect with nature through birding and conservation. Reed, a Democrat, says Providence is getting a $50,000 federal grant to support the effort.

South Carolina

Charleston: Police and other officials in the state are working to bring down a high number of road deaths among pedestrians and bicyclists. The Post and Courier reports a recent report by the nonprofit Governors Highway Safety Association ranked South Carolina sixth among U.S. states for pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 people. More than 900 have died on South Carolina roads and highways in the past six years. Capt. David Singletary of the North Charleston Police Department says most such deaths are preventable. His department’s traffic unit plans a public education campaign this summer in which officers plan to stop and speak to anyone they see improperly crossing a roadway. Other groups, like the nonprofit Charleston Moves, are pushing for pedestrian bridges and other infrastructure upgrades.

South Dakota

Madison: Dakota State University says it’s rebranding, noting in a statement Friday that its goal is to unite the university under a look and feel that authentically matches “the essence of Dakota State.” The university will change its logo to a single “D” surrounded by a hexagon and change its colors from blue and yellow to Trojan blue and gray. The rebranding project took a year of research and planning and was initiated by President Jose-Marie Griffiths, who joined the college in 2015. It’s the third school system in a month to do something similar, following in the steps of the University of South Dakota’s efforts to create a community college out of the University Center in Sioux Falls and the renaming of the Sioux Falls Catholic Schools to Bishop O’Gorman Catholic Schools this week.

Tennessee

Nashville: The Volunteer State’s 56 state parks have been recognized for their efforts to practice environmental sustainability. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation says Burgess Falls State Park in White County achieved platinum status, while nine parks reached gold level status, 24 parks reached silver level and 22 bronze. The nine gold level parks are Bicentennial Capitol Mall, Cumberland Trail, Cummins Falls, Dunbar Cave, Johnsonville, Montgomery Bell, Radnor Lake, Roan Mountain and Standing Stone. The recognition is part of the state’s Go Green With Us program that began in 2015.

Texas

Houston: Lawmakers are considering a bill that could grant homeowners a tax break when their property has been damaged by disasters such as 2017’s Hurricane Harvey. The Houston Chronicle reports bill sponsor Sen. Paul Bettencourt says it would give homeowners an opportunity to challenge unjust property tax bills after a natural disaster. The bill would basically remove cities, counties and other governmental agencies from the disaster reappraisal decision-making process. It also includes guidelines on how appraisers must complete the work. Hurricane Harvey caused widespread damage and flooding along the Texas Gulf Coast, with winds speeds topping 130 mph. Just a portion of the more than 200,000 damaged structures in the state’s 60 counties were reappraised. The proposal has passed the Senate and awaits a vote in the House.

Utah

Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is changing wedding rules in hopes of preventing family members who aren’t church members from feeling excluded. The faith said Monday in a news release that couples who get married in civil ceremonies will no longer have to wait one year to do a temple wedding ceremony that only members in good standing can attend. Church leaders say it will allow “families to come together in love and unity” but doesn’t lessen the temple ceremony the faith believes seals the couple for eternity. Religious scholar Matthew Bowman says the old rule was designed to encourage couples to get married in a temple and have a reception or “ring ceremony” afterward. But he says it caused heartache for some with mixed religious affiliations.

Vermont

Montpelier: The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is reminding drivers to be alert to moose crossing roadways this time of year. Officials say moose are on the move particularly after dark and early in the morning as they travel from wintering areas to spring feeding spots. The department says more moose are hit by vehicles in the spring than other times of year. Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Louis Porter says last year drivers hit 61 moose on Vermont highways. He says the department is asking drivers to be especially careful and “for people to enjoy watching moose from a distance.”

Virginia

Lexington: Virginia Military Institute isn’t raising student tuition thanks to increased state funding to the country’s oldest state-supported military college. The Lexington institution’s Board of Visitors decided Saturday to keep annual tuition for state residents at nearly $9,300 and for non-Virginia cadets at about $36,000. But fees will increase by $540 for room and board, auxiliary services and quartermaster charges. Cadets are required to live in the VMI barracks throughout their studies, making room and board a required fee. The higher fees will generate an additional $1.6 million, added to an extra $1.9 million in state funding. VMI’s budget for the fiscal year beginning in July is $96 million.

Washington

Olympia: State legislators have taken substantial steps to reshape the mental-health system, including funding for new facilities, legislation to increase the number of qualified workers, and the creation of new types of treatment centers. The Seattle Times reports lawmakers approved the plan – which sprawls across two different state budgets, as well as several other bills – in the legislative session that ended April 28. The work comes after years of court orders and federal inspections that meticulously documented the poor treatment of psychiatric patients in the state’s care, as well as a steep shortage of treatment beds and staffers to operate them. It remains to be seen how the complex plan comes together in the coming years. Grants will have to be awarded, facilities sited, permitted and built, and staff found to run them.

West Virginia

Fairmont: The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State University is looking for volunteers to give tours. The center is offering training for volunteer docents May 20. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact staff at wvfolklife@fairmontstate.edu or (304) 367-4403 by May 17. Docents will provide tours and information about the center’s exhibits to school groups and other visitors. Docents should have flexible schedules and enjoy talking about history and culture, working with groups of all ages, and answering questions. The center is located in a repurposed historic barn on the university campus and has scholarly research, archives, community programs and events, workshops, and exhibitions.

Wisconsin

Madison: The state’s tourism industry generated $21.6 billion last year, according to a new report from the state Department of Tourism. The report says visitor spending rose nearly 5% in 2018 to $13.3 billion. Tourism brought in $1.2 billion in federal taxes, $879 million in state taxes and $703 million in local taxes. Most of the growth is tied to recreational activities. Department of Tourism spokeswoman Kristina LeVan noted several large events drew visitors to the state last year, including Milwaukee Brewers playoff games, the CrossFit Games in Madison and Harley-Davidson’s 115th anniversary celebration in Milwaukee.

Wyoming

Jackson: Biologists estimate the state’s overall wolf population at 286 this year, down 61 animals from a year ago. The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports that’s the fewest wolves counted in the state since the Wyoming Game and Fish Department took over management and initiated wolf hunting seven years ago. State biologists estimate there were 46 wolf packs in the state at the end of 2018. Game and Fish wolf biologist Ken Mills says a combination of hunting, natural mortality and reduced pup production drove down the number of wolves in the state. Although having fewer wolves concerns wildlife watchers and activists, the outcome is what Wyoming wildlife managers have been seeking. With fewer wolves, documented conflicts between wolves and domestic animals fell off last calendar year.

From staff and wire reports

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nina Simone’s house, Mark Twain’s frogs, Hawaii’s royals: News from around our 50 states