Oil train conversion, sit-in anniversary, Healing Garden expansion: News from around our 50 states
Alabama
Montgomery: A three-day event is marking the 60th anniversary of the state’s first sit-in against racial segregation. Five of the surviving demonstrators were on hand Monday for a remembrance at Alabama State University in Montgomery. Civil rights lawyer Fred Gray of Tuskegee was also set to participate, according to an announcement from the school. Alabama State, a center of activity during the civil rights era, is also hosting events through Wednesday, including a panel discussion of elected officials and a presentation of scholarly papers about the sit-in and its legacy. A student sit-in began Feb. 25, 1960, at the Montgomery County Courthouse snack bar, where 35 black women and men asked to be served in defiance of the city’s segregation law. They were inspired by the Greensboro four, who started the sit-ins campaign at a lunch counter in North Carolina just weeks earlier. Then-Gov. John Patterson, a segregationist, made Alabama State expel any students who participated by threatening its state funding. Nine students identified as leaders were kicked out of school.
Alaska
Anchorage: Landslides that caused road closures last year have raised concerns about whether there will be full access to Denali National Park and Preserve for the upcoming tourism season. The National Park Service has said it plans to open the entire Denali Park Road by early June, The Anchorage Daily News reports. The 92-mile road running through steep mountain passes provides the only driving access into the park’s 7,344 square miles. The park service repeatedly closed parts of the road last summer amid heavy rains, rockfall and mudslides. Recent National Park Service surveys found the speed of a landslide at Pretty Rocks section of the road has increased dramatically since September, and the road was slumping nearly 2 inches every day after August. Private vehicles are restricted beyond Mile 15 of the road. But hundreds of thousands of visitors each year use buses run by commercial operators to take them farther into the park. Business owners inside the park rely on the road to bring in supplies for guests.
Arizona
Tucson: A new task force will focus on decreasing cases of animal hoarding across Pima County. The Pima Animal Care Center and other community organizations will meet Tuesday to discuss how to help overwhelmed pet owners before they get to the point of hoarding. Center officials say animal hoarding is not necessarily just about the number of pets in a home but about whether the owner can actually support them, the Arizona Daily Star reports. Kristen Hassen, animal services director, says the task force wants to change how hoarding cases are handled. It will work with pet owners and connect them with community resources. Two part-time public health nurses will be available to talk with owners, Hassen says. In addition, owners will get assistance with spaying, neutering and pet vaccination services. In 2019, the Pima County animal shelter took in almost 19,000 animals – many from hoarding situations and with medical conditions.
Arkansas
Mountain Home: The Baxter County Historical and Genealogical Society will meet Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the Knox Community Room of the Baxter County Library. Admission is free, and guests are welcome. The evening’s guest speaker will be Roy Stovall, speaking about “The de Soto Entrada” and its significance to Arkansas history and archaeology. Conquistador Hernando de Soto and his men, the first Europeans to explore Arkansas, trekked 4,000 miles from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Brazos River 480 years ago. The adventurers spent two years in what would become Arkansas before de Soto met his death near the Mississippi River. Stovall has made an extensive study of the expedition as a lifetime member of the Arkansas Archeological Society.
California
San Francisco: The first new state park campground on the California coast in 30 years is expected to feature ocean frontage on Monterey Bay when it opens in 2022. Fort Ord Dunes State Park has 4 miles of ocean beach on the bay and is located near Marina, south of Moss Landing and north of Monterey, The San Francisco Chronicle reports. A former military unit, Fort Ord Dunes opened 10 years ago with little supporting infrastructure and is one of a handful of state parks providing free parking and access. The area is sometimes overlooked because unlike most state parks along the Pacific Coast Highway, Fort Ord Dunes does not have a direct turnoff to parking from Highway 1. A boardwalk has been planned to allow access to the beach without damage crossing sensitive dunes. Two overlook areas are expected to provide views of Monterey Bay, historic Fort Ord, and oceanfront cities Sand City, Seaside and Monterey.
Colorado
Durango: The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has debuted its first locomotive that runs on oil, a more environmentally friendly fuel source that holds less fire risk than a traditional coal-burning engine. For the past two years, the D&SNG’s crews have worked to convert the No. 493, an early 1900s coal-burning locomotive, to be able to run off oil. It’s the first of what’s expected to be several conversions from coal-fired to oil-burning engines as the city’s top tourist attraction braces itself for the future. “We need to be prepared and just recognize the changing climate,” owner Al Harper told The Durango Herald. Coal-burning engines can emit small cinders from their smokestacks and start fires. Harper said it’s important to have the option of running oil-powered locomotives during extreme drought. This issue came to a head in summer 2018, when drought, high fire danger and the 416 Fire caused the D&SNG to shut down for more than 40 days.
Connecticut
Stratford: A school board member who was accused of sexually assaulting a teen is resisting calls to resign from his post. Stratford Board of Education Member Robert DeLorenzo took a plea deal in the case and was convicted of first-degree reckless endangerment, The Connecticut Post reports. Democratic Town Committee Chair Stephanie Phillips and others have called on DeLorenzo, a Democrat, to resign from the board. But DeLorenzo says he has no plans to step down and insists the efforts to get him to resign are politically motivated. “I said 10 times I am not stepping down,” he told the newspaper. Police said DeLorenzo assaulted a 13-year-old girl, who told authorities that DeLorenzo told her he would kill her if she told anyone about it. DeLorenzo denies ever assaulting the girl.
Delaware
Wilmington: The state’s Council on Development Finance on Monday approved a $4.5 million grant for Amazon, which says it is bringing about 1,000 full-time jobs to the former General Motors plant in Newport. A Nevada-based distribution company that counts Amazon as a client plans those jobs and more seasonal ones for a 3.7 million-square-foot logistics warehouse, according to a presentation from Amazon at the Buena Vista conference center in New Castle. Amazon’s application for the money was not readily available to the public during the hearing. Monday’s agenda offered little more detail on the application, only revealing that Amazon was seeking the $4.5 million to “establish its operations in Wilmington, Delaware.” The $4.5 million will come from Delaware’s Strategic Fund, a pool of state money meant for attracting businesses and growing jobs in the First State.
District of Columbia
Washington: The National Children’s Museum of D.C. officially opened Monday. The new attraction is the perfect place to spark a child’s curiosity and creativity, WUSA-TV reports. Located at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, adjacent to the Ronald Reagan Building, it features exhibits including the Dream Machine, which allows kids to climb up to the clouds and slide down a huge slide that is also wheelchair-accessible. The museum was built to connect with all kids and also includes a mother’s room with stroller parking, quiet rooms for sensory-friendly kids, open captioning with audio for every video and, upon request, a personalized verbal description and sighted guide for guests who are blind. Admission is just $10.95 for adults and children over 1 year old. Pop-ups and family workshops are also expected to be a part of the experience.
Florida
Tavares: Seven decades after four young black men were accused of raping a white woman in a 1949 case now seen as a miscarriage of justice, the central Florida county where their case took place has erected a monument in their honor. The monument honoring Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd and Ernest Thomas was unveiled Friday during a ceremony at the Lake County Historic Courthouse. The granite memorial for the men known as the Groveland Four features a bronze plaque imprinted with a written account of the men’s ordeal, which was prepared with the help of their families. “While we cannot change the past, we can learn from it, and we can assure that our institutions today provide equal and fair justice to all,” said Lake County Commission Chairman Leslie Campione. A year ago, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s three-member Cabinet granted posthumous pardons to the men. The case of the Groveland Four is considered a blight on Florida’s history. One of the four was killed before he could be charged. One of the remaining men was fatally shot by the local sheriff and another shot and wounded by the sheriff and a deputy. A third man was wrongly imprisoned.
Georgia
Atlanta: Georgians could get a chance to vote on making it easier to sue state government under a constitutional amendment moving forward in the General Assembly. The House voted 163-0 on Thursday to pass House Resolution 1023. It moves to the Senate, where it would need a two-thirds vote to make it to the election ballot for a referendum. “It makes sense to amend the constitution so that people can come to the courthouse and seek redress,” said Rep. Andy Welch, a McDonough Republican who has been pushing the effort for several years. Bills to broaden the grounds for suits have been vetoed twice, first by Gov. Nathan Deal in 2016 and then again by Gov. Brian Kemp last year. However, the governor has no power to reject a proposed constitutional amendment. Lawmakers are reacting to a 2014 state Supreme Court decision that says state and local governments can only be sued when they have waived a legal doctrine called sovereign immunity. That’s a principle descended from English common law, commonly described as “the king can do no wrong.” When Georgia overthrew the king in 1776, that cloak of legal protection transferred to the state government.
Hawaii
Kailua-Kona: A bill aimed at raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco and electronic smoking devices has stalled in the state House of Representatives. The bill proposed to make it illegal for anyone younger than 25 to buy the products, West Hawaii Today reports. Democratic Reps. Richard Creagan and John Mizuno, the chairman of the House Committee on Health, introduced the bill that was unanimously passed by the health committee Feb. 4. The measure also passed a full reading on the House floor but did not secure required hearings before the House Judiciary and Finance committees. The bill subsequently missed a deadline for moving bills with multiple referrals to a final committee. The bill cited the harmful effect of nicotine on developing brains, particularly youth and young adults and unborn children, as well as a study by the Institute of Medicine that found raising the minimum purchase age led to decreases in smoking prevalence and mortality.
Idaho
Boise: A transgender rights group says it’s suing the state over a proposed bill that makes it illegal for someone to change their gender identity on a birth certificate, according to a television station’s report. The National Association of Transgendered People prepared the lawsuit and planned to file it Monday, KBOI-TV reports. The House Education Committee held a hearing on the bill last week and recommended sending it to the full House for a vote. The bill introduced by Rep. Julianne Young, a Republican, would ban changes to a birth certificate if more than a year has passed since the person’s birth. The bill is in conflict with a 2018 ruling by a federal magistrate that said Idaho must accept applications from transgender people who wish to change their gender on their birth certificates to confirm with their gender identity. Idaho has been complying with the federal ruling.
Illinois
Chicago: Supporters of the revitalization of the historic Pullman neighborhood say they have the money for more restoration work, five years after then-President Barack Obama designated part of the area as a national monument. Longtime supporters gathered with National Park Service officials Wednesday on the city’s Far South Side to celebrate the five-year anniversary of the monument designation as leaders unveiled the latest renderings for a more than $56 million revitalization project. A central part of the restoration is the Pullman Clock Tower and Administration building, which will convert into a visitors center. That’s expected to be completed next year. The neighborhood was built by industrialist George M. Pullman in the 19th century for people who worked at his state-of-the-art factory building luxurious railroad sleeping cars. The harsh working conditions aboard Pullman’s sleeping cars helped spur the birth of the African American labor movement.
Indiana
Indianapolis: Local government officials and environmentalists oppose a project proposing to burn or harvest parts of the Hoosier National Forest because they are concerned it could contaminate the only source of drinking water for more than 140,000 people. The U.S. Forest Service approved the Houston South Vegetation Management and Restoration project last week. Federal officials point out that projects such as this are a common means of maintaining forest health. But critics say it could worsen existing water-quality issues in the Lake Monroe reservoir, which serves all of Monroe County. “Lake Monroe is the surface drinking water source for not only Monroe County but also surrounding areas,” said Monroe County Commissioner Julie Thomas, a vocal opponent of the project. “We’re really concerned.” It wasn’t until Lake Monroe was created in the 1960s that Bloomington finally had a stable source of drinking water.
Iowa
Des Moines: The state Supreme Court elected Justice Susan Christensen as its next chief justice Monday, making her only the second woman to rise to chief of the seven-member court. Appointed by Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds in 2018, Christensen is part of a new, more conservatively constituted court. Reynolds has named three justices to the court since becoming governor and will name a fourth after acting Chief Justice David Wiggins retires next month. Wiggins, an appointee of Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack, became acting chief after the unexpected death of Chief Justice Mark Cady in November from a heart attack. Cady had chosen Wiggins to take the post if he were to become incapacitated. Wiggins announced last month his plans to retire March 13. Christensen was a lawyer before becoming a district court judge. She is married with five children and five grandchildren. Her father, Jerry Larson, was a justice on the Iowa Supreme Court for 30 years until his retirement in 2008.
Kansas
Topeka: State lawmakers are considering making changes to the criminal public offender registry system and cutting back on penalties. The expansive system that publicly tracks convicted criminals after they’ve served their time covers a wide range of crimes beyond sex offenses, Kansas News Service reports. Now, some policymakers believe it’s time to ease the rules. Marc Schultz, convicted of manslaughter for hitting and killing a cyclist while driving drunk in 2010, said he didn’t intentionally commit a violent crime but still has to be listed among those who committed crimes like sexual assault, human trafficking or kidnapping. “When people look at that map, they don’t know the difference between the dots that they see,” Schultz said, noting a map with too many offenders makes it less useful for the public. Proposed changes include reducing penalties for not registering properly and changing the 15-year registration term for those convicted of crimes, like drug distribution, to only face a five-year registration term.
Kentucky
Louisville: Authorities are asking for the public’s help in finding those responsible for poaching two elk. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources said on its Facebook page that two bull elk were poached Thursday in the Ball Creek area of Knott County. The post shows a photo of two severed elk heads. The department said it is offering a $4,000 reward leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. It said the League of Kentucky Sportsmen and Safari Club International’s Kentuckiana Chapter donated toward the reward. Tips can be called in to the department or to Kentucky State Police in Hazard.
Louisiana
Baton Rouge: A textile museum at Louisiana State University is growing and will reopen its renovated, larger space with an exhibition celebrating four decades of its collection. The opening exhibition in the LSU Textile and Costume Museum’s new gallery will include a 1960s special occasion dress designed by American designer James Galanos; a 1938 SEC Championship LSU boxing robe; and the outfit worn by Baton Rouge WAFB-TV personality “Buckskin Bill” Black. Other items include clothing from past governors and their spouses; an 1840s/1850s day dress; a Haspel labeled seersucker man’s suit; and non-western artifacts such as a 19th century Chinese “dragon robe.” The exhibition can be viewed by the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from March 30 to April 6. The museum will celebrate the grand opening of its exhibition gallery March 28. The event will feature local reality TV star Anthony Ryan, winner of “Project Runway All Stars” and an alumnus of the university’s textiles, apparel and merchandising program.
Maine
Augusta: State conservation officials are asking residents to take a few steps to cut down the spread of invasive species. The Pine Tree State’s effort is taking place during National Invasive Species Awareness Week. The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry said the state suffers from non-native species such as the emerald ash borer and green crab that have a negative impact on natural resources. The department is asking residents to take steps such as clipping the webs of browntail moth caterpillars before they get active. The caterpillars can cause a painful rash in humans. Residents should also avoid releasing aquarium fish and plants, live bait or other exotic animals into the wild, the state said. Another helpful step is to learn how to identify invasive plants that might be growing on private property and take steps to control them.
Maryland
Baltimore: Some state lawmakers want to ban the practice of offering sexual assault victims a waiver that says they don’t want to go forward their case. The Baltimore Sun reports some legislators want to do away with the waivers so that victims aren’t discouraged to report and prosecute the crimes. Experts say investigators sometimes misuse waiver forms to pressure victims to stop pursuing charges or to get cases off their plate without a thorough investigation. Some police departments have recently stopped the practice. But the Harford County Sheriff’s Office continues to use waiver forms. The sheriff said the waivers are used “sparingly” and only when a victim has requested that an investigation end. The proposed legislation would stop police from presenting victims with forms that prevent prosecution of the crime or waive the victim’s rights.
Massachusetts
Plymouth: A week after Plymouth Rock was defaced with graffiti, it appears as if vandals have targeted the historic town’s 9/11 memorial. A statue of a police officer was knocked over sometime over the weekend, and two nearby lamp posts were knocked over. The statue’s head was knocked off. A nearby figure of a firefighter was untouched. On Feb. 16, Plymouth Rock, the symbolic spot of the Pilgrims’ landing 400 years ago, was covered in paint. Vandals also targeted the Pilgrim Maiden statue and several other significant spots. It was not clear if the two vandalism cases are connected. The Sept. 11 memorial, unveiled in 2004, was privately funded by businessman and former Selectman Richard Quintal, who donated the land on which the memorial sits. No arrests have been announced in either case.
Michigan
Lansing: State officials have recognized three trails as “Pure Michigan Trails” because they provide access to high-quality scenic views. They also designated three communities as “Pure Michigan Trail Towns.” The label refers to towns or cities along trail routes that provide vibrant experiences for users. The Canada Lakes Pathway in Luce County, the historic Haywire Grade in Schoolcraft and Alger counties, and the Kal-Haven Trail in Van Buren and Kalamazoo counties joined the ranks of Pure Michigan Trails. Cheboygan, Reed City and Oakland County’s Orion Township were added to the roster of Pure Michigan Trail Towns. “With four seasons of trail recreation fun available, Michigan truly is home to a variety of great trails and trail towns,” said Paul Yauk, DNR state trails coordinator. He said the trails and towns receiving Pure Michigan designation provide some of the state’s elite trail experiences; promote healthy lifestyles; conserve natural and cultural resources; and boost local economies.
Minnesota
Minneapolis: The city has paused plans to issue its own identification cards that would be available regardless of a person’s immigration status. Mayor Jacob Frey said Friday that the move was made in part because of concerns that the information could be used to identify immigrants for deportation. He said the city wants to ensure “people signing up for the ID card are protected.” The Star Tribune reports the discussions about how and whether to proceed come at a time when many cities are looking for ways to resist immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump. Minneapolis approved the creation of a municipal ID program in 2018 but had been discussing it for many years. Supporters said having a form of identification is crucial to opening a bank account, receiving health care and, in some cases, picking up children from school.
Mississippi
Jackson: About 450 homes were damaged in Hinds and Madison counties from flooding in the Jackson metro area earlier this month. Before the flooding from the Pearl River started, officials had projected up to 2,500 structures, including about 1,000 homes, could be affected. Mississippi Emergency Management officials said Monday in an email that the number is a rough estimate and is likely to change. MEMA on Monday began conducting in-depth damage assessments. In Rankin County, about 18 structures reportedly were damaged, with fewer than five that were homes, Rankin County Emergency Management Director Mike Word said. The Pearl River at Jackson is slowly receding but will take a few days before it reaches below-flood stage levels. MEMA officials said the water has receded across affected areas around Jackson, and river levels will continue to fall throughout the week.
Missouri
Kansas City: A fired Kansas City Public Schools secretary who was among seven employees accused of falsifying attendance data in a bid to help the district regain accreditation said she and her co-workers were following orders from top administrators. Former Central Middle School secretary LaQuyn Collier told The Kansas City Star that she gave administrators “exactly what they said they needed.” She and another fired employee have hired an attorney to try to get their jobs back. Emails obtained by the newspaper show that administrators asked secretaries to gather at the district’s central office to review “several attendance recording issues” in the summer of 2014 during the time in which an investigation found the tampering happened. Attendance is among the criteria Missouri uses in giving out performance scores that determine whether a district is unaccredited, partially accredited or fully accredited.
Montana
Billings: Montana State Parks’ free lease of 337 acres at Hell Creek on Fort Peck Reservoir expires in 2021, and between now and then, the state is planning to negotiate a new 20-year lease with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Hell Creek Marina and adjoining state park create a complexity not found at other state parks, the Billings Gazette reports. Clint and Deb Thomas own and run Hell Creek Marina. The marina operates on a lease from Montana State Parks, which oversees adjacent Hell Creek State Park. “I am not a concessionaire,” Thomas emphasized. He owns the marina buildings, including a small motel, docks, store and other improvements to the property. “I’ve got $2 million invested.” That’s not the case at other areas, such as Tongue River Reservoir State Park, where Montana State Parks owns the marina’s facilities and hires a concessionaire to operate it.
Nebraska
Gretna: A wildlife biologist will present a program next month about people-powered science and wildlife observation. The presentation March 15 is part of a Sunday speaker series at Schramm Education Center. The presenter will be Alie Mayes, a biologist with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Her program is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at the center, which sits along Nebraska Highway 31 near the Platte River, about 6 miles south of Exit 432 off Interstate 80. Contact Amber Schiltz for more information at amber.schiltz@nebraska.gov or 402-332-5022.
Nevada
Las Vegas: A sanctuary garden for those affected by the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting is expanding. The city will be adding more features – including a fire pit, a walkway covered in greenery and a pear tree – to the Healing Garden, which was created also as a place to honor the 58 victims, KTNV-TV reports. City officials say they hope to complete the expansion in May, with access for the public in June. A Callery pear tree near the World Trade Center in New York City became known as the “Survivor Tree” after the 9/11 attacks. Its seedlings are given to communities who have also experienced tragedy. The Oct. 1, 2017, shooting during an outdoor country music festival on the Las Vegas Strip is the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. The volunteer-built garden features a tree for each of the 58 victims and an oak that represents life. It was dedicated during the shooting’s first anniversary.
New Hampshire
Concord: Statistics released for 2018 show that heart disease was the leading cause of death in New Hampshire, marking the first time in over a decade that it surpassed cancer, state health officials said Monday. More than 2,600 New Hampshire residents died from heart disease that year, the state Department of Health and Human Services said. Nationally, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women. About 647,000 Americans die from heart disease each year, accounting for 1 in every 4 deaths. High blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking are major risk factors for heart disease.
New Jersey
Hardwick Township: A forest fire burning through a popular hiking area that is crossed by the Appalachian Trail and a major interstate highway was about 80% contained by Monday afternoon, state fire officials said. The fire began Sunday afternoon on Mount Tammany, a steep, rugged area of New Jersey’s Worthington State Forest and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area on the New Jersey-Pennsylvania border. Fire officials said about 80 acres had burned by Monday. A helicopter and 40 firefighters were working to put the fire out Monday, officials said. Greg McLaughlin, chief of the New Jersey Forest Fires Service, said no injuries had been reported. A cause for the fire had not been determined, officials said. Chris Franek, the state forest fire service’s assistant division fire warden, said fires on similar terrain usually burn upward, but Sunday’s fire, which started below a trail at an elevation of about 1,400 feet, burned downhill because the trail area is rocky and without abundant vegetation. He said fires are rare there at this time of year because the area usually has a layer of snow.
New Mexico
Albuquerque: An analysis shows the city’s police are taking 93% longer to respond to 911 calls than nine years ago. KOAT-TV reports an examination on the Albuquerque Police Department’s response times shows officers now take an average of 48 minutes to arrive to a scene. That’s a 23-minute jump from 2011. Albuquerque Emergency Communications Center manager Erika Wilson says police are during the best they can with the resources available. Albuquerque police say the department currently has about 950 officers. In 2011, it had about 1,100 officers. “We are in a pickle,” said Shaun Willoughby, president of the Albuquerque Police Officers Association, the union that represents Albuquerque cops. “The Albuquerque Police Department is understaffed. It has been for a number of years.” FBI statistics show Albuquerque had a violent crime rate of 1,365 per 100,000 residents in 2018. The national rate was about 369 violent crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
New York
Seneca Falls: A long-simmering leadership dispute in the Cayuga Indian Nation erupted over the weekend with bulldozers razing several buildings on Cayuga land in western New York. The buildings demolished early Saturday in Seneca Falls housed several businesses, a longhouse and a day care center. A statement from the Cayuga Nation said it demolished the buildings for public safety reasons. It said the properties were seized in 2014 by a group that disputes the authority of Cayuga leader Clint Halftown, who ordered the demolition. Halftown’s Cayuga Nation Council is officially recognized by the U.S. government. The opposing faction that controlled the buildings since 2014 is the Traditional Cayuga Nation Chiefs and Clan Mothers. A statement from the traditional faction’s counsel, Joe Heath, called Saturday’s demolition “viciously unlawful.”
North Carolina
Forneys Creek: The Hidgon Family Cemetery in the Great Smoky Mountains has become a source of mystery for the National Park Service. On the North Carolina side of the park stands a slanted granite tombstone that says only: “A Black Man” – no name, no date, no epitaph, The Charlotte Observer reports. Now park historians say they’re determined to figure out who he was and why he was afforded a costly grave marker with no hint of identification, as part of a project documenting “the African American experience in the Smokies.” “This research project is facing common obstacles: the African American members of the communities are nameless and faceless in typical historical records,” the park service wrote on Facebook. Some bloggers believe the man was “elderly” when he died around 1920, during a period when the “Spanish Flue” had overtaken Swain County, according to a report in Reflections of Olde Swain.
North Dakota
Bismarck: A nonprofit group that arranges trips for veterans to visit Washington memorials dedicated to them will now have its first honor flight chapter dedicated to area veterans in western North Dakota. The local chapter, Western North Dakota Honor Flight, announced its start a week ago with Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., in attendance, the Bismarck Tribune reports. The local chapter is the first since the Rough Rider Honor Flight Network ceased in 2011 after operating for two years. The group hopes to raise $160,000 through sponsorships, fundraisers and donations to send about 100 area veterans to the nation’s capital on a private plane. The two-day trip planned for this fall will be free to the veterans, but they do have to apply to participate in the program.
Ohio
Columbus: Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a bill under which motorcyclists in the state would be allowed to wear earphones or earplugs while riding to ward off hearing loss. The state House and Senate previously approved the legislation, which would prohibit motorcyclists from listening to music or other entertainment while wearing the ear protection. The Republican DeWine signed it into law Friday, and it takes effect in 90 days. Noise from the wind and engines can produce severe hearing loss for motorcyclists, said Sen. Rob McColley, a Republican from Napoleon in northwestern Ohio. There was no public opposition, and proponents said riders would still be able to hear sirens and car horns.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City: Native American tribes suing the state over tribal gambling compacts oppose requests by two tribes to intervene in the lawsuit. The Dec. 31 lawsuit by the Cherokee, Chickasaw and Choctaw nations asks a federal judge to determine whether compacts allowing gambling exclusively at tribal casinos automatically renewed Jan. 1. Mediation was ordered after Gov. Kevin Stitt asked the judge to order the casinos to stop offering certain games, including electronic and table games. Several tribes intervened, but they oppose intervention by the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians and the Kialegee Tribal Town, saying they have no valid claim. “UKB and Kialegee do not conduct gaming pursuant to (Indian Gaming and Regulatory Act) Compacts and are not developing any projects to engage in gaming,” as do the tribes in the lawsuit, according to the Feb. 18 motion.
Oregon
Portland: The city intentionally allows drivers to park vehicles illegally close to crosswalks and intersections, making it difficult to navigate the city and potentially deadly for all road users, a lawsuit filed last week in Multnomah County Circuit Court says. The lawsuit seeks to address what attorney Scott Kocher describes as Portland’s “ongoing failure” to provide adequate sight distance at street corners or crosswalks, the Oregonian/OregonLive reports. Kocher is using the 2019 death of a motorcyclist, one of 49 people killed in what was the deadliest year since 1997, as a test case to argue the city’s negligence. The family of Elijah Coe, a 48-year-old chef who was killed on East Burnside Street in May, is seeking $5.9 million in damages and demands the city retrofit its intersections to comply with its own code governing sight distances as well as state law.
Pennsylvania
State College: Hundreds of Penn State students have raised more than $11 million dollars for pediatric cancer patients in the annual 46-hour dance marathon known as Thon. The $11,696,942.38 total was announced Sunday afternoon at the conclusion of the Penn State Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, billed as the world’s largest student-run philanthropy. Money raised benefits pediatric cancer patients and their families at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Child cancer survivors and their families also participate along with the dancers, who aren’t allowed to sleep or even sit and are helped by thousands of other students in support roles. The amount raised this year was more than $1 million beyond last year’s total. Before this year’s event, officials said the dance marathon had raised more than $168 million since 1977.
Rhode Island
Providence: The state’s main airport is getting a $4.7 million grant to modernize the terminal, acquire land and study effective noise reduction strategies. U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, announced the Airport Improvement Program grant for the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, the quasi-public agency that oversees the airport’s operations. Most of the federal funding will be used to renovate restrooms and other public facilities in the 24-year-old airport terminal, Reed said. The renovations are expected to be complete this summer. About $400,000 will be used to purchase 1.3 acres of vacant property within a runway protection zone for one of the runways. About $90,000 will be used to help update noise exposure maps that were generated in 2010.
South Carolina
Columbia: State lawmakers are looking to end a practice that allowed police officers to patrol by themselves for up to a year without training. The idea for decades was to allow small police forces to use newly hired officers immediately after putting them on the payroll because it could take months to get a slot in the state’s only police training academy in Columbia. But the death of an untrained officer in a shooting during a traffic stop in Florence in January and the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy revamping its training program to eliminate the monthslong wait have four former law enforcement members writing a bill to change things. The proposal would only allow an officer without the certification earned through 12 weeks of training to patrol or arrest someone if they are with a certified officer.
South Dakota
Rapid City: A new app is helping American Indian youth learn math that can be taught in their native Lakota language. The bilingual English and Lakota math video game was created by the Thunder Valley Community Development Corp., a South Dakota nonprofit that promotes Native American issues. The “Making Camp: Lakota” app is free and can be downloaded on mobile devices and computer desktops, KOTA-TV reports. It is meant mainly to help fourth- and fifth-grade students. A historical video introduces each section of the game explaining cultural symbols like eagle feathers, buffalo and horses. Mary Bowman, an Oceti Sakhalin teacher with the Rapid City Area School District, said it’s a key part of the curriculum. Culturally responsive teaching increases children’s achievement levels because the children are more engaged and learn more, she said.
Tennessee
Memphis: As part of the kickoff to its 20th anniversary year, Stax Music Academy will present a special Black History Month concert Tuesday. The event, titled “Let’s Do It Again,” will take place at the Rose Theatre on the campus of the University of Memphis. In addition to performing the classics, Stax Music Academy will show the lasting influence and continuing impact of the label by playing contemporary songs – by artists ranging from Destiny’s Child to Ariana Grande – that incorporate or sample familiar Stax sounds. Pat Mitchell Worley, executive director of Stax Music Academy, said the theme of the concert is a way to connect multiple generations of music fans. The Black History Month concert is typically Stax Music Academy’s biggest show of the year, and “Let’s Do It Again” will feature appearances by all its various groups, including the a capella, jazz, and junior and senior high school ensembles. There will be two performances Tuesday: a daytime event exclusively for Memphis middle and high school students and an evening concert that will be open to the public. Tickets are $20 for adults. Youth tickets are $10.
Texas
Dallas: The “Leaning Tower of Dallas,” a social media sensation born when a part of a building survived implosion, endured scores of blows from a wrecking ball Monday. Dozens of people gathered downtown to watch as a crane was used to batter the former Affiliated Computer Services building. The 11-story building found a second life online after surviving a first demolition attempt. It inspired jokes and comparisons to Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa when a Feb. 16 implosion failed to bring down its core. The company that engineered the blast said some explosives did not go off. In the following week, people flocked to the site to post photos of themselves pretending to prop up the lopsided tower. The remainder of the building proved resilient Monday, and some onlookers were nonplussed by the ball that began swinging about 9 a.m. As demolition work took place, an online petition to “save this landmark from destruction” continued to draw signatures.
Utah
Salt Lake City: U.S. officials have dropped plans to sell energy leases in a popular recreational area renowned for its mountain biking trails. The reversal by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management comes after local businesses, officials and Gov. Gary Herbert raised concerns about potential effects to the Slickrock Trail near Moab. The two lease parcels would have covered about two-thirds of the 10.5-mile trail and been barely a mile from Arches National Park. The 9,000-acre Sand Flats area that includes the trail is visited by 160,000 people a year, many of them drawn to the undulating, rocky trails that pose a challenge to mountain bikers. The U.S. land agency co-manages the recreation area with Grand County, an arrangement in place since 1994. Under President Donald Trump, the amount of acreage leased for oil and gas in Western states has been sharply increasing, raising concerns among conservationists about potential damage to the environment.
Vermont
Montpelier: The Department of Fish and Wildlife is proposing to issue 55 moose hunting permits for this fall in the wildlife management unit along the state’s borders with Quebec and New Hampshire. The October hunt would result in the taking of an estimated 33 moose. The target for the area known as Wildlife Management Unit E is designed to reduce the impact of winter ticks on the moose population. “Moose density in WMU E is more than one moose per square mile, significantly higher than any other part of the state,” said moose biologist Nick Fortin. The suggestion for the number of moose hunting permits came after Fish and Wildlife worked with University of Vermont researchers to study moose health and survival in the wildlife management unit by tagging 36 cows and 90 calves with GPS tracking collars. The study found that chronic high winter tick loads have caused the decline in moose health.
Virginia
Richmond: Lawmakers passed a bill Monday that scraps the state’s Lee-Jackson holiday celebrating two Confederate generals and replaces it with one on Election Day. The House approved legislation that had already cleared the Senate, advancing the measure to Gov. Ralph Northam, who supports it. Lee-Jackson Day, established more than 100 years ago, is observed annually on the Friday preceding the third Monday in January. It honors Confederate Gens. Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, both native Virginians. Critics of the Lee-Jackson holiday view it as a celebration of the state’s slaveholding history that’s offensive to African Americans. Many cities and counties have opted not to observe it. “Voting is our most fundamental right as Americans – and it is past time we stopped celebrating men who worked actively to uphold the system of slavery,” Northam said in a statement.
Washington
Mount Vernon: Potato farmers in Skagit County suffered big losses after they were unable to harvest some of their crops due to early and heavy rainfall. The county’s farmers were unable to harvest an estimated 3 square miles of potatoes in the fall, with losses valued between $5 million and $10 million, The Skagit Valley Herald reports. Don McMoran of the Washington State University Skagit County Extension said farmers often do not harvest some land each season, but a loss of that size is rare. Farmers are also worried about the condition of potatoes they harvested that are sitting in storage, McMoran said. “When you harvest under wet conditions, you’re going to have the potential for more disease concerns,” he said. Potatoes are the county’s most valuable crop, bringing in about $60 million to growers annually, according to extension statistics.
West Virginia
Charleston: Wildlife officials have proposed 16 changes to the state’s hunting and fishing regulations. Officials with the Division of Natural Resources met Sunday and explained the rationale for the changes, the Charleston Gazette-Mail reports. The proposals will be voted on during meetings in May and August. Some of the bigger proposals included lengthening the spring turkey-hunting season, changing smallmouth-bass fishing regulations along the New River, expanding nighttime hunting for coyotes and imposing a creel limit on panfish. The proposal to lengthen the spring turkey season from 27 days to 35 days would provide additional days of hunting recreation, said Paul Johansen, the agency’s wildlife chief. The proposal to expand nighttime hunting for coyotes to year-round is an answer to requests from predator hunters.
Wisconsin
Elm Grove: A historic church and convent is being sold to a local development firm that plans to convert much of that space to apartments. Mandel Group Inc. has agreed to buy the 30-acre School Sisters of Notre Dame complex, according to an announcement Monday. Mandel has done some preliminary work on plans to redevelop the site but hasn’t yet determined how many apartments could be built there, said Dan Romnek, a development associate at the firm. The development would likely blend preserved buildings with new construction, he said. The two main buildings, Notre Dame Hall and Maria Hall, are to be preserved, Romnek said. Mandel is considering plans for the property’s other buildings, some of which could be demolished, he said. A detailed proposal is to be filed with Elm Grove officials this summer for a Plan Commission and Village Board review, Romnek said. Mandel plans to talk to neighbors before submitting those plans.
Wyoming
Casper: Land owners on a Native American reservation will be able to sell their property to the federal government through a program meant to return ownership to the reservation’s two tribes. The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Land Buy-Back Program for tribal nations will enable the purchases on the Wind River Reservation, The Casper Star-Tribune reports. Participation in the program is voluntary, and only tribal members with allotments will be eligible to sell their land. Much of the property was allotted to tribal members by the government but is often underutilized due to a tangle of ownership. The original allotments have been passed down through generations for the reservation’s tribes to control, but tangled ownership webs can result in hundreds or thousands of owners of a single allotment. After the property is returned to tribal jurisdiction, the land could be used for purposes including economic development, right-of-ways, cultural preservation and housing.
From USA TODAY Network and wire reports
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oil train conversion, sit-in anniversary: News from around our 50 states
