Packed beaches, Tupac files for unemployment, no Mother’s Day flowers: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Montgomery: A new tool was launched Tuesday to allow some job seekers in Alabama to speed up the claims process for unemployment benefits, according to the state Department of Labor. The UI Claims Tracker enables people who are eligible for the government’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance to upload their income documents directly, a department news release stated. More than $372 million in employment benefits was distributed to nearly 180,000 claimants in Alabama between March 16 and April 24, the state agency said. For those seeking unemployment because of the pandemic, 64% have been issued payments, according to the department. “We know that many people have still not been paid, and we understand that frustration,” Alabama Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington said in the release. He added that the agency was working to modify its systems and process claims faster.

Alaska

Anchorage: The first signs of activity returned to Alaska’s largest city Monday as businesses slowly began reopening following closures because of the coronavirus pandemic. Personal care services, like barber shops and nail and hair salons, were allowed to reopen, as were restaurants. However, all are operating under strict guidelines intended to guard against spreading the virus. The state allowed businesses to begin reopening last Friday, but Anchorage waited to allow businesses to get employees back and for some, to decide whether it makes sense to open yet. Gov. Mike Dunleavy said the state was working with communities. Anchorage’s initial reopening phase tracked largely with that of the state’s. Regulations limit restaurants to 25% capacity, with more than enough elbow room. Tables must be spaced 10 feet apart, and only household members can sit at a table. Eateries can continue offering takeout service, as many already were doing when dine-in service was barred.

Arizona

Fountain Hills: A restaurant has been cited for allowing on-site dining in violation of Gov. Doug Ducey’s executive order, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. On March 26, deputies responded to a call from town staff reporting that Euro Pizza was allowing patrons to dine on the restaurant’s premises. According to the report, a similar situation had occurred on March 21. On March 26, according to the Sheriff’s Office report, a deputy noticed about nine people eating on the patio. The restaurant owner, Marita Kraja, told the deputy that she was allowed to sell beer and food to go, and people could eat and drink wherever they wanted, according to the report. She told the deputy that it wasn’t dining in because there was no table service, according to the report. She also said that some individuals were sitting at tables in an outdoor common area and not on the patio, although she told the deputy that she owned those tables as well. On March 27, a deputy reported seeing two men sitting at a table in the common area drinking a bucket of beer. On March 31, a deputy reported seeing several more people eating and drinking outside the restaurant. The tables were removed at one point, according to reports, but a deputy reported on April 5 observing about 10 people again standing or sitting at tables in front of and next to the business, eating and drinking alcohol. Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office deputies reported talking to the owner numerous times between March 21 and April 5 about the governor’s orders and the health reasons surrounding it and asking her to remove the tables and chairs from outside the restaurant. She continued to deny that she was in violation, according to reports. Kraja told deputies that she was selling the food and drinks to go, but she couldn’t control what customers do with the alcohol as they wait for their food.

Arkansas

Little Rock: Late fees and interest charges on businesses’ annual franchise taxes will be waived until July 15, Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston announced. The filing deadline for annual franchise taxes is May 1. Typically, companies filing after the deadline are charged a $25 late fee plus 0.000274% interest per day the payment is delinquent. These penalties will be waived for those who file between May 2 and July 15. This only applies to the 2020 franchise tax reporting year, according to the news release. “The May 1st deadline is set by state law, however, we thought this would be one way to help companies who may need a little extra time to get their tax payments in order,” Thurston said. “The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is having a serious impact on our business community and we want to help them in any way that we can.” “The Secretary continues to work closely with all stakeholders and coordinated these efforts with those of the Governor’s Office and the Department of Finance and Administration,” according to the release.

California

Newport Beach: Overcrowding at some California beaches and parks has given local officials second thoughts about keeping them open this weekend at the risk of reversing progress made in slowing the spread of the coronavirus and causing a deadly surge of cases. Officials in Newport Beach on Sunday called for a special meeting to consider shutting beaches during the next few weekends or closing roadways leading to the shoreline to keep visitors away. Over the weekend, a spring heat wave lured tens of thousands of people to the Orange County city, where residents compared the crowd size to something typically seen on the July 4 holiday. Visitors cruised around seaside neighborhoods searching for parking and packed sidewalks that are inches from people’s front yards, said Diane Dixon, a councilwoman whose district runs along the beach. Neighboring Huntington Beach also had large gatherings despite the closure of beach parking lots and metered parking along the Pacific Coast Highway. San Diego County officials said they would open their beaches starting Monday to all water activities except recreational boating but left it to coastal cities to decide when or how they will reopen their own beaches. Los Angeles, city and county beaches, trails and playgrounds were closed. Officers on horseback patrolled those areas to enforce social distancing rules. To the north, police in Pacific Grove said they had to close the picturesque Lovers Point Park and Beach at the southern end of Monterey Bay on Saturday because of a lack of social distancing.

Colorado

Fort Collins: The city has started working to transition a tent city for homeless people back into a park. A sign posted by the city on Monday notified homeless people living in tents at Heritage Park that the tents must be removed by 5 p.m. Wednesday. The signs were posted the same day the city transitioned from a stay-at-home order to a lesser restrictive safer-at-home phase of limiting the spread of the new coronavirus. The 13-acre park next to the Northside Aztlan Community Center and the center’s parking lot attracted about 100 tents, shelters and RVs over the past five to six weeks. The community center was turned into an emergency homeless shelter March 19 after it was closed to recreational use because of the pandemic. The community center will remain open as an emergency shelter for the homeless for an unspecified time. Additional space on the second floor of the Aztlan center will be made available to house “the most vulnerable community members without homes (those who are over 65 years old and have specific underlying medical conditions),” according to a news release.

Connecticut

Hartford: The state Department of Labor has begun issuing the first round of $600 weekly federal stimulus payments to filers receiving state unemployment benefits. The initial batch, totaling more than $89 million, was issued last weekend after the state agency successfully programmed its computer system, Gov. Ned Lamont said Tuesday. That’s in addition to the nearly $51 million issued last weekend in state benefits. Those who receive payments through direct deposit should expect to begin seeing federal money appear in their bank accounts by Tuesday. A website has been set up to monitor whether deposits were issued. Connecticut and other states with old computer systems have been delayed in processing the federal payments because the state Department of Labor’s database needed to be modified, which officials said was a labor-intensive process while handling an unprecedented number of state unemployment claims. Meanwhile, the agency is still working to implement two recently approved federal programs: benefits for the self-employed and a 13-week extension for eligible claimants who’ve exhausted 26 weeks of state unemployment benefits.

Delaware

Harrington: The state fair has canceled it’s 2020 concert series because of coronavirus safety concerns, but the fair is still scheduled to take place. Organizers did not give more detail on what that event will be, but noted it will be a fair of “some kind” in late July that is “within the parameters” of what state and public health officials deem to be safe, according to Monday’s announcement. The canceled series that was scheduled for this summer totaled nine shows that included performances by Dierks Bentley and Hank Williams, Jr. In a statement reported by news outlets, Delaware State Fair General Manager Bill DiMondi said the arenas that would have housed those concerts were not flexible enough to support the social distancing measures needed to ensure virus safety. The fair’s assistant manager, Danny Aguilar, said in a Facebook live video Monday that organizers decided having close to 8,000 people in a close proximity won’t lead to a safe environment. According to Aguilar, the fair is considering different methods to implement social distancing in a modified fair, including allowing online ticketing options for some attractions and streaming livestock shows. Organizers said they will give out full refunds for those who purchased concert tickets from the fair until the end of next month. This year’s modified fair is scheduled to be held from July 31 to Aug. 1.

District of Columbia

Washington: WUSA-TV reported the Washington Sports Club will stop charging membership fees while gyms are closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine said Monday. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered all gyms and nonessential businesses to close last month. The move followed threats of a lawsuit if the company didn’t stop charging membership fees during the shutdown of all nonessential businesses. The company will credit members for the time gyms have been closed, retroactively freeze memberships as of April 8 and offer free membership cancellations online through its “Contact Us” page, though requests must be submitted by Thursday. Racine, along with attorneys general in New York and Pennsylvania, sent a letter in early April to Town Sports International, the parent company of the sports club, demanding it stop charging customers monthly dues and cancellation fees. Town Sports International is one of the largest fitness center operators in the country. There are six Washington Sports Club facilities in the District.

Florida

Tallahassee: Customers of four major utilities will get a break on upcoming electric bills as they grapple with the coronavirus pandemic. The state Public Service Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved proposals that will lead to one-time savings in May for customers of Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy Florida and Gulf Power and savings spread over a longer period for customers of Tampa Electric Co. “This is a truly a no-brainer for me, quite frankly, and I appreciate (the utilities) taking an early initiative to help their customers in such a time of need,” Commissioner Julie Brown said. The savings stem from lower-than-expected costs for natural gas to fuel power plants. Utilities are required to pass along savings to customers when fuel costs drop, but the money typically goes to customers gradually. Under the plans, FPL, Duke and Gulf will lump together fuel savings this year into one-time bill reductions in May, and Tampa Electric will provide chunks of the savings to customers from June through August and then smaller savings through the rest of the year. Utility officials said they wanted to accelerate the savings for customers dealing with job losses and other economic problems related to the coronavirus.

Georgia

Savannah: Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Savannah-Chatham Public Schools System shifted plans to celebrate the 2020 graduating classes for local high schools, the Savannah Morning News reported. On Monday, the first round of the school system’s “Celebration of the Graduates of 2020” offered a safe, secure environment aligned to the guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The curbside event presented graduating seniors with their cap, gown, honor cords and a gift courtesy of Superintendent Ann Levett. Participating schools on Monday included Savannah Arts Academy, Sol. C. Johnson High School, Beach High School and Woodville-Tompkins High School.

Hawaii

Honolulu: Hawaii’s florists have suffered a blow through the reversal of a coronavirus policy exemption that would have allowed flower deliveries on Mother’s Day. Democratic Gov. David Ige announced there would not be a previously announced exemption to the stay-at-home order issued in response to the pandemic. Ige reversed the decision Saturday, saying the exemption for florists to deliver on Mother’s Day, which will be celebrated on May 10, had not been approved. “I think that permission was granted prematurely,” Ige said. “I was not aware that it was actually granted, and the person authorizing it did not have the authority.” State officials will be “looking business by business and industry by industry to see what the best practices are, and we will be making a decision about florists in the future,” Ige said. Some florists said the policy change could cost them tens of thousands of dollars. Watanabe Floral in Honolulu planned to sell 1,000 arrangements via delivery without contact. The company said the state had told its management that Watanabe could sell flowers for one week only beginning May 4. “The minute we got the exemption, we turned on our website to accept orders and within the first 48 hours we had 500 orders already,” said Monty Pereira, general manager of Watanabe Floral. The company has experienced a 97% drop in sales since closing March 23. “It’s going to be a very, very costly situation where, for some local florists, this could be the dagger where they cannot recover from this,” Pereira said.

Idaho

Worley: The Coeur d’Alene Casino has reopened some of its restaurants with social distancing efforts in place and face mask requirements. KREM-TV reported the tribal casino closed on March 20, five days before Gov. Brad Little announced a statewide stay-at-home order. The order is set to expire on May 1. All casino employees kept their jobs, wages and benefits during the closure, though only essential employees continued to come to work. Heather Keen, a spokesperson for the casino, said some restaurants are open with enhanced cleaning protocols and reduced seating capacity. “Notably different than other businesses currently operating, face masks or face coverings will be required for everyone on the casino property,” Keen said. Neither the Coeur d’Alene Reservation or Benewah County have had any confirmed COVID-19 cases to date. The Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council appointed a task force to plan for the phased reopening of the reservation and tribal entities. The group will regularly review local coronavirus data and trends and provide recommendations to the Tribal Council as the situation changes.

Illinois

Chicago: Police have cited a homeowner for disorderly conduct following a crowded weekend house party that was condemned by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Officers responded to the northwest side home early Sunday after receiving multiple calls and dispersed about 50 people from the residence, Chicago police spokesman Luis Agostini said. Police cited the homeowner Monday, Agostini said, the same day Lightfoot criticized the party, which to her looked like “hundreds” of people standing “literally cheek to jowl.” “It goes against all the things we’ve been talking about,” Lightfoot said. The party was “foolish and reckless,” she said. “Every single person there who put themselves at risk puts the next person and the next person that they come into contact with at risk,” Lightfoot said. Pritzker on Sunday criticized the people at the party for “putting everyone around you in danger,” the Chicago Tribune reported.

Indiana

Fort Wayne: The Indiana Air National Guard’s 122nd Fighter Wing will conduct a series of flyovers in several Indiana cities this week to salute hospitals during the coronavirus outbreak, officials said Monday. The flyovers by four A-10 Thunderbolts also are intended to lift morale during the severe health and economic impacts that have resulted from outbreak, they said. A Fort Wayne mission on Tuesday was scheduled to fly over Lutheran Hospital, Dupont and two Parkview hospitals beginning about 11:10 a.m. A central Indiana mission on Thursday will fly over the Johnson Armory at 10:45 a.m., then Community Hospital East, St. Vincent Hospital in Carmel, the VA Hospital and University Hospital in downtown Indianapolis, the Lawrence Armory and IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie.

Iowa

Des Moines: The Downtown Farmers’ Market will start its season in a new virtual form. For the first three Saturdays in May, the market will partner with DSM TV to host an hour-long Facebook livestream at 8 a.m. The “Market Meet-Up” will highlight vendors and direct viewers to their online stores while also featuring cooking demos and live music. The market will “will continue to evaluate next steps for hosting an outdoor market by following local, state and federal public health guidelines,” according to a Tuesday news release. “In this era of physical distancing, public safety and support for our vendors and shoppers are of the utmost importance,” market director Kelly Foss said in the release. “This is a fun opportunity to get together virtually and celebrate some of our favorite elements of the Downtown Farmers’ Market, so I encourage you to make your breakfast, prepare a cup of coffee and join us to learn how you can shop from local market vendors.” Gov. Kim Reynolds said Friday that farmers’ markets would be allowed to open in the coming weeks, but with limitations. Only food or farm products could be sold, and vendors would have to sit 6 feet apart. Her order also prohibited live music, contests, activities and seating areas.

Kansas

Mission: The number of positive cases in six meatpacking plants has risen to 378 as the state works to reopen its economy. Dr. Lee Norman, the state’s health director, said most of the infected meatpacking workers were asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic. None has died and at most one is hospitalized. Norman also said the number of influenza-like illnesses reported statewide was “dropping like a rock.” As of Monday, the number of COVID-19 deaths rose by two to 120, and the number of positive cases increased by 154 to 3,328. But Norman said hospitalizations are dropping and that the rise in the number of positive cases is largely the result of the state trying to boost its lowest-in-the nation testing rate. “We will without question continue to see an uptick in the total number of cases as we do more testing, and that is going to be a challenge in how to communicate that to people,” Norman said. “It is going to look like it is getting worse in the case count but it is not in reality.”

Kentucky

Louisville: State officials are working to resolve an unemployment claim filed last month by Tupac Shakur, a Kentucky man not related to the late iconic hip-hop artist, after Gov. Andy Beshear pointed it out on Monday as an example of fake claims that had been filed in the commonwealth. “The governor was advised that a fraudulent claim had been filed in the name of Tupac Shakur. It now appears that a Kentuckian by that name has filed a claim,” Beshear spokesman Sebastian Kitchen told The Courier Journal on Tuesday. “This morning, Gov. Beshear called Mr. Shakur to apologize. The Office of Unemployment Insurance is working to resolve the claim.” Shakur is a 46-year-old cook who worked at Lexington’s Alfalfa’s and Lynagh’s restaurant before it closed amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader, which got in touch with him after Beshear’s briefing. Shakur goes by Malik, his middle name, according to the Herald-Leader. A Muslim, he changed his name around 1998, as the last name Shakur means “thankful to God” in Arabic. He is not, however, related to the rapper, who released several platinum albums in the 1990s before he was killed in an unsolved shooting in 1996.

Louisiana

New Orleans: Former Mayor Ray Nagin, who led the city amid Hurricane Katrina’s devastation and was later convicted in a corruption case, was released from prison early because of the coronavirus pandemic.Nagin, 63, got out of federal prison Monday, news outlets reported. Nagin was home with family in the Dallas area, his brother-in-law Cedric Smith said late Monday. Nagin was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2014 on multiple counts including wire fraud, money laundering, bribery and more. The charges relate to crimes that happened before and after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. He was mayor from 2002 until 2010. The release comes as the Federal Bureau of Prisons is allowing inmates who might be vulnerable to contracting COVID-19, and have served more than half of their sentence for a nonviolent crime, to be sent home, news outlets reported. Nagin had served about 56% of his sentence. He was scheduled to be released in September 2024, but was expected to get out on March 16, 2023, for good behavior, WWL-TV reported.

Maine

Portland: Airports around Maine are getting more than $6 million in federal funding to make improvements while they cope with the impact of reduced travel. The largest grant of more than $3.2 million went to Wiscasset Airport to make runway improvements. The state’s largest airport, Portland International Jetport, will get more than $2.2 million to construct and rehabilitate the taxiway. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, said investing in airport infrastructure will help make sure airports in Maine are able to maintain their roles as major job creators. Airports in Bethel, Augusta and Trenton are also receiving grants to make improvements.

Maryland

Baltimore: Democrat Kweisi Mfume easily won a special election Tuesday to finish the term of the late Elijah Cummings, retaking a Maryland congressional seat he held for five terms before leaving to lead the NAACP. Mfume defeated Republican Kimberly Klacik in the heavily Democratic 7th Congressional District, capping a race dramatically reshaped by the coronavirus. After winning what was largely a mail-in election, Mfume removed a mask at the victory podium and told supporters many people are “struggling at this hour to fight off the terrible disease of the coronavirus.” Maryland opened just three polling stations Tuesday and sent ballots weeks in advance to encourage mail voting because of the pandemic. Earlier this month, thousands of Wisconsin primary voters waited hours outside overcrowded polling stations, and Maryland’s contest could be a test for future races in a key election year.

Massachusetts

Boston: Gov. Charlie Baker is extending the state’s stay-at-home advisory from May 4 until May 18. All nonessential businesses will also remain closed until the new deadline, Baker said Tuesday. Although the state has made progress in fighting the virus, Baker said it’s still too early to begin lifting restrictions. Hospitalizations for patients with the virus have begun to plateau, but the state still hasn’t seen the declines needed to ease up on social distancing and other steps the state has taken, Baker said at a news conference. “You need to see downward trends,” he said. Baker also said he is naming a reopening advisory board of business and political leaders, including Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, to help come up with a road map to safely reopen the Massachusetts economy. Baker said he wants that report by May 18.

Michigan

Detroit: A Detroit-area doctor who called his competitors “cowards” treated hundreds of patients at vein clinics despite a state order that banned nonessential medical procedures during the coronavirus outbreak, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. Charles Mok runs Allure Medical Spa in Shelby Township, although Allure has 26 clinics in eight states, the government said. Federal authorities charged Mok with submitting false claims to Medicare, alleged acts that preceded the coronavirus outbreak. But he also has submitted at least 98 claims to insurers for vitamin C therapies that were touted as COVID-19 treatments, the government said. “Dr. Mok is charged with exploiting the current pandemic to defraud the Medicare program, and putting the safety and health of his patients at risk in doing so,” U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said. A message seeking comment was left for Mok’s attorney. There are no vaccines or drugs approved by the government to treat COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. Between March 24 and April 14, Allure treated approximately 950 people, who filled waiting rooms while not keeping 6 feet away from each other, an agent said in a criminal complaint against Mok. Investigators said Mok considered outpatient vein procedures to be essential rather than elective and prohibited by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. When told that other vein clinics had closed, Mok called them “cowards” and saw COVID-19 as an “opportunity to capture the market,” investigators said.

Minnesota

Rochester: Vice President Mike Pence chose not to wear a face mask Tuesday during a tour of the Mayo Clinic, an apparent violation of the world-renowned medical center’s policy requiring them. Video feeds showed that Pence did not wear a mask when he met with a Mayo employee who has recovered from COVID-19 and is now donating plasma, even though everyone else in the room appeared to be wearing one. He was also maskless when he visited a lab where Mayo conducts coronavirus tests. And Pence was the only participant not to wear a mask during a roundtable discussion on Mayo’s coronavirus testing and research programs. All the other participants did, including Food and Drug Administration chief Stephen Hahn, top Mayo officials, Gov. Tim Walz and U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn. Mayo tweeted that it had informed the vice president of its mask policy before his arrival. The tweet was later removed. Mayo officials did not directly respond to a request for comment on why it was removed, or at whose request. Pence explained his decision by stressing that he has been frequently tested for the virus. “As vice president of the United States I’m tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis, and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus,” Pence said, adding that he is following CDC guidelines, which indicate that the mask is good for preventing the spread of the virus by those who have it. “And since I don’t have the coronavirus, I thought it’d be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible healthcare personnel, and look them in the eye and say ‘thank you.’ ”

Mississippi

Jackson: All inmates and employees in Mississippi prisons have been given masks to try to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, the state Department of Corrections said Monday. Advocates have repeatedly raised concerns that the highly contagious virus is difficult to control in prisons, where inmates have little chance to keep distance from one another even when they’re told to do so. They have also pushed for wider testing for COVID-19 in prisons. The corrections department said four Mississippi inmates had tested positive for the virus by Monday – two at the State Penitentiary at Parchman and two in the Winston-Choctaw County Regional Correctional Facility. The department has previously said one of the Parchman cases was an inmate who died. The department said 21 inmates had tested negative for COVID-19 as of Monday. Two were waiting for test results; one was at the Marshall County Correctional Facility and one was at Delta Correctional Facility. More than 18,500 people are in custody in Mississippi prisons. The Department of Corrections said gloves and additional soap are being provided in prisons. A news release said hand sanitizer is available in “strategic locations,” including dining areas. In court papers filed in mid-April, the Department of Corrections said hand sanitizer with 60% or more alcohol is a security concern, and distributing it to all inmates is not feasible.

Missouri

Springfield: Missouri State University President Clif Smart wrote in a column Tuesday that later this week, the school will send $250 in federal stimulus money to most undergraduate, degree-seeking students with an expected family contribution of $12,000 or less. Those exclusively enrolled in an online program before March 13 will not be eligible because of limitations on the stimulus money prescribed by Congress. Starting next Monday, MSU will also allow students with financial needs or hardships caused by the pandemic to apply for grants of up to $1,000 to cover related expenses. The deadline to file an application will be May 15. If any money is left over, "we will determine an equitable method to distribute the remaining money to students," Smart wrote. Ozarks Technical Community College is making plans for similar payments, officials said this week. The money for the payments comes from the federal CARES Act passed by Congress in March. Half of the money sent to colleges must be used for emergency relief for students. The other half can be used to cover costs colleges incur dealing with the pandemic, such the millions of dollars in housing and meal plan credits that Missouri State is refunding with the campus largely shut down for the spring semester.

Montana

Great Falls: Owners and employees of retail stores in Great Falls said they are relieved to be reopening after a lengthy coronavirus-forced shutdown, but health concerns remain as the first phase of the state's reopening got underway Monday. “We have to get back to business, right?” said DeeAnna Corn, the owner of Studio Montage Hair & Spa. “Because we’re all going to be paying for this for a long time.” After a month of businesses being shuttered to slow the spread of new infections, eased shutdown restrictions began Sunday for churches and retail businesses were allowed to open up shop Monday. The balancing of economic and public health concerns was evident at many of the businesses that reopened in Great Falls. Workers at Corn’s downtown business were scrubbing the floors as part of a deep-cleaning in preparation for a Tuesday reopening. They also took the opportunity of the shutdown to do some remodeling. Masks covered the face of barber Jerel Gustafson as he led customer Caleb Brown to his chair at Falls Barber Shop in the Central Plaza Building. Brown said he was about to pull the trigger on buying clippers on Amazon so he could cut his own hair when Gov. Steve Bullock announced the phased reopening of the economy last week. Instead, he set up an appointment with Gustafson, who leases a chair from Falls Barber Shop owner Debbie Wood. To meet guidelines in place to prevent the spread of the virus, customers are being booked every 30 to 45 minutes, Wood said. She and Gustafson wear masks and provide them for customers, as well.

Nebraska

Lincoln: Gov. Pete Ricketts defended his decision Monday to ease social-distancing restrictions in some parts of Nebraska, even though the number of confirmed coronavirus cases has surged in the last few days. Ricketts, a Republican, announced Friday that he was relaxing rules for businesses such as restaurants, salons and tattoo parlors in certain regions of Nebraska and allowing all churches to resume in-person services as long as they follow new safety rules. During his weekday news conference Monday, Ricketts used a highway speed-limit analogy to describe his thinking. “We could ban just about all deaths on the interstate by reducing the speed to 5 mph, but we don’t do that,” he said, describing such action as impractical. ”… What we’re trying to do is find the right speed. What’s the right speed to be able to manage our health care system, to make sure it doesn’t become overwhelmed?” He said the state has “slowed everybody down” and is now trying to figure out “what is the right speed to be at” to ensure public safety. He argued that the virus has yet to overwhelm the state’s hospitals, which is the metric he’s using to determine success. As of Monday morning, Nebraska still had 49% of its hospital beds, 77% of its ventilators and 42% of its intensive-care unit beds available for patients. He also is maintaining restrictions in areas that have seen a surge in cases, such as Hall County, which has a major meatpacking plant and food processors.

Nevada

Las Vegas: The states of Nevada and Colorado joined a western regional pact Monday to help fight the new coronavirus outbreak while moving closer to reopening businesses and modifying stay-at-home orders. Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak resisted joining a West Coast pact earlier this month with California, Oregon and Washington, saying he intended to base any decisions about relaxing pandemic-related restrictions on the advice of his state’s medical experts. Sisolak and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said Monday the five-state Western States Pact has a shared vision that puts science ahead of politics. The Nevada Democrat said they intend to exchange crucial information about how to mitigate the outbreak and reopen businesses “responsibly.” “Millions of visitors from our fellow Western states travel to Nevada every year as a premier destination and this partnership will be vital to our immediate recovery and long-term economic comeback,” Sisolak said.

New Hampshire

Concord: The event known as Bike Week, which draws thousands of motorcycle riders to New Hampshire each June, has been postponed because of coronavirus concerns. The Laconia City Council voted Monday to move the event from Aug. 22 to Aug. 30. It had been scheduled from June 13 to June 21. Charlie St. Clair, executive director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association, said if the COVID-19 situation doesn’t improve by the beginning of August, the organization will have to reassess when to hold the rally, WMUR-TV reported

New Jersey

Atlantic City: The coronavirus could be a game-changer once America’s casinos reopen. Many decisions remain to be made. But prepare to have your temperature scanned at the door. Maybe a half or third of slot machines will work. Every other table could be closed, and there could even be plexiglass barriers between dealers and customers or separating slot machines. Dealers and servers and customers – including those who smoke – all could be required to wear masks in many places. Workers might be standing by to wipe down slot machines, kiosks and even elevator buttons as soon as someone is done touching them. Several casino executives in Atlantic City acknowledged those are among the issues they are grappling with, and they note that state officials could still change the specifics of their plans before any reopening. New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement, which must give the all-clear before Atlantic City’s nine casinos can reopen, would say only that it “has engaged with the casino industry to develop plans for the safe reopening of Atlantic City’s retail casino operations when authorized by the governor.” In outlining a plan Monday to reopen the state, Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, gave no indication when casinos might reopen.

New Mexico

Santa Fe: An advisory commission to the governor on economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic is not subject to the state’s Open Meetings Act and its deliberations will be closed to the public, a spokesman under Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said. Taxation and Revenue Department spokesman Charlie Moore said Monday that summaries will be provided of work by the economic recovery council, which includes leaders from a gamut of businesses from a rural general store in Clayton to the San Francisco-based renewable energy developer Pattern Energy and New York-based mass media conglomerate NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. “We do not at this point plan on opening the group’s discussions to the public,” Moore said in an email. “The Recovery Council is an advisory group only and for that reason not subject to Open Meetings Act requirements.” Lujan Grisham announced last week that she will consult with a council of business leaders as the administration develops a phased plan for possibly relaxing restrictions on nonessential businesses and social distancing directives. Meeting calendars and agendas were not available. A bipartisan council of mayors also is being assembled to provide advice through the governor’s chief of staff, John Bingaman. It was unknown which mayors might participate.

New York

New York City: Schools will implement a new grading system for the remainder of the coronavirus-disrupted school year, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday. Elementary school students will be graded “meeting the standards” or “needing improvement” while high school students will have a pass-fail grading option, de Blasio said. Acknowledging that some students have struggled since schools were shuttered March 16, de Blasio said students who need help to catch up will be given academic support through the summer and into next fall. Students in grades K-5 will be graded “meets standards” or “needing improvement,” de Blasio said, while middle school students will be graded “meets standards,” “needs improvement” or “course in progress.” High schools will use traditional letter grades, but a student who receives a passing grade in a class can take a “pass” grade that won’t affect their grade point average, de Blasio said. High school students who haven’t mastered the coursework will get a “course in progress” grade. De Blasio announced on April 11 that the schools would remain shuttered through the rest of the school year but Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the decision whether to reopen schools was up to him. Cuomo has not indicated that he wants schools in the city to reopen before the end of the academic year in late June.

North Carolina

Geensboro: A pick-your-own strawberry farm has temporarily closed after laboratory tests confirmed eight workers tested positive for the new coronavirus, according to officials. Rudd Farm said on its Facebook page that it took preventative measures, including having workers wear gloves and masks and using a drive-through service to maintain social distancing to protect customers. According to the post, one worker said he felt sick and tested positive, and several other workers also tested positive for COVID-19. The News & Record of Greensboro reported that the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed eight cases linked to on-site housing for farm workers. “We are devastated, but our top priorities are the safety of our workers, our family, and our customers,” the farm said in its post. Rudd Farm made the transition to a drive-through pickup service two weeks ago that drew hundreds of cars, many of which waited for more than an hour, according to the newspaper. Workers handed plastic pails of strawberries through car windows or loaded them into trunks. The farm said it has been assured by public health and agriculture officials that there is no concern about food safety because COVID-19 is not a food-borne illness.

North Dakota

Bismarck: The number of people testing positive for the new coronavirus in North Dakota is nearing 1,000 as the state prepares to lift business restrictions. The North Dakota Department of Health on Tuesday reported the number of people in the state testing positive for COVID-19 has grown to 991, up 49 from the day before. The new figures Tuesday from the Health Department include 41 in Cass County, which includes Fargo. Grand Forks County, where an outbreak led to the shutdown of a wind turbine plant, had only three new cases on Tuesday, down from 36 on Monday. North Dakota has recorded 19 deaths – and nine in the past week – related to the coronavirus but none was reported Tuesday. The rise in cases and deaths comes as Gov. Doug Burgum has signaled he would lift business restrictions beginning Friday, saying the state has made significant progress in its effort to contain the spread of the virus.

Ohio

Columbus: Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday relaxed his order on mandatory face coverings for business customers and clients, saying that after receiving input on his decision, mask-wearing will be recommended but not required. The governor clarified late in the day that masks will still be required for employees under most circumstances. DeWine said he recognized that the order covering customers was off-putting to many Ohioans who saw it as “one government mandate too far,” the governor said. As of Tuesday night, the first protocol on DeWine’s online list for businesses starting to reopen said: “Require face coverings for employees and recommend them for clients/customers at all times.” The turnaround on masks for store customers was the biggest concession the Republican governor has made to public opinion during the coronavirus pandemic, a time period which saw him close schools, bars and restaurants and dramatically limit public gatherings earlier than almost any governor in the nation.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: The Oklahoma Department of Corrections is testing inmates for the new coronavirus at least a week before releasing them after a man tested positive hours after his release. Department spokesman Justin Wolf said Tuesday that an inmate at the William S. Key Correctional Center in Fort Supply was released April 22, two days after being tested but hours before the department received his test result. Asked if Wolf knew where the inmate, he said no. “We have no legal authority to hold him … we followed (state health department) guidelines to notify him,” of the positive test, Wolf said. The Oklahoma State Department of Health did not immediately respond to questions about whether the inmate’s family and contacts had been notified. Wolf said 49 inmates exposed to the man tested negative for the virus and results are pending for three others. Two of the DOC’s 24,000 inmates have tested positive for the virus, in addition to nine staff members, Wolf said.

Oregon

Salem: Facing steep budget shortfalls, the state has taken its first steps in furloughing workers in order to save money, among the few states in the U.S. to do so to date. A state economist predicted that Oregon’s leaders will have to grapple with “balancing limited revenues with increased need for programs to help Oregonians” impacted by the economic shutdown to stem the coronavirus pandemic. “Things won’t bounce back overnight” after the restrictions are lifted, Josh Lehner, who is helping produce Oregon’s economic and revenue forecast, said on a webcast Friday. Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle announced late Monday that managers in the agency she directs, the Bureau of Labor and Industries, must take one unpaid furlough day per month through June 2021, the end of the budget cycle. “The coronavirus pandemic has collapsed our economy,” Hoyle said. “This is the Bureau of Labor and Industries’ first step toward dealing with the significant budget shortfalls that our state will likely be facing.” Jenny Smith, spokeswoman for the labor bureau, said she isn’t aware of any other state agency that has furloughed workers. The economic and revenue forecast, due on May 20, that Lehner is working on will indicate how much expected revenue has shrunk amid massive layoffs of workers who are no longer contributing state income taxes into the common pot. Personal income taxes account for 80% of the state’s general and lottery fund revenues, according to Lehner.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts are facing a projected loss of as much as 5% in revenue from local taxes as the coronavirus pandemic shutdowns take a heavy toll on the economy, a leading public schools group said Tuesday. The Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officers said it is projecting a loss of $1 billion, or 5%, in revenue from local school taxes if economic recovery lags. A quicker turnaround could limit the damage to a loss of $850 million, or 4%, the group said. School districts reported spending about $30 billion in the 2017-2018 school year, according to state data, the latest available for that statistic. About $17.5 billion in revenue that year came from local sources, primarily property taxes, and $11.5 billion came from the state, according to the data. Rising unemployment will probably mean a loss in real estate transfer tax revenue as the economic downturn slows the real estate market, Timothy Shrom, director of research for the school business association, said in a written statement. Property tax revenue will decline as people need more time to pay, and interest rate reductions will depress interest earnings, Shrom said. Meanwhile, a massive deficit facing state government, as well as a delayed July 15 deadline for filing taxes, is casting doubt on how much state aid schools can expect.

Rhode Island

Providence: The city is working on a plan to close certain streets to some or all vehicular traffic to allow more space for people to walk, bike and exercise outdoors, city officials said. The city’s public parks, trails and green spaces were closed April 7 to slow the spread of the new coranavirus. Parking lots at state-run parks and beaches are also closed. Under the plan being considered, some roads would be closed to all traffic and some would be closed to all but local traffic, Katherine Hypolite, spokeswoman for the city’s Department of Planning and Development, told The Providence Journal. Emergency vehicles would still have access. The idea is that people will use the streets for exercise without congregating in large groups, as they often do in parks.

South Carolina

Columbia: It has been more than a week since South Carolina beach towns were allowed to begin reopening, but some are still opting to stay shuttered amid the coronavirus outbreak. Folly Beach City Council members on Monday voted to keep public access restrictions to the beach near Charleston in place until May 6, with plans to discuss the issue again later this week and “allow more data and study,” according to a post on the city’s Facebook page. As part of a gradual issuance of executive orders shutting down recreation areas and nonessential businesses in the state as the outbreak spread, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster ordered all public beach access closed March 30, although people with property on the beach could still enjoy the sand and water. He rescinded that order about three weeks later, leaving the decision on public access points up to local governments. Mayor Marilyn Hatley said North Myrtle Beach didn’t hesitate to reopen its beaches to the public, so “people can enjoy some much-needed sun and recreation along our nine miles of beach,” as long as they were responsible by staying 6 feet apart. But other beach towns took a more cautious approach, citing federal guidelines for determining whether the spread of the virus had slowed that have not yet been met in South Carolina.

South Dakota

Rapid City: The City Council has adopted a plan to reopen many businesses immediately, but with social distancing protocols. The council voted 7-2 on Monday night to implement Mayor Steve Allender’s plan until the end of May. The Rapid City Journal said that under the plan, restaurants and bars can reopen with a minimum of 6 feet between tables, chairs and bar stools, and with capacity limits set to half of the business’ occupancy rating. At retail locations, hand sanitizer is required throughout the store. Grocery, retail, recreation and fitness businesses would be limited to one customer for every 200 square feet. Public social gatherings are limited to 10 people. The plan also included limitations on seating at entertainment venues as well, with seats in businesses and theaters marked as not available to enforce social distancing guidelines

Tennessee

Nashville: The number of COVID-19 cases among inmates in seven state prisons has jumped to more than 750 as a round of mass testing begins at a CoreCivic facility northeast of Nashville, officials said Tuesday. Tennessee’s Department of Correction said eight inmates have been hospitalized among the 756 prisoners who have tested positive for the new coronavirus in seven of the state’s 14 prisons. No deaths have been reported, and the vast majority of the positive cases are not symptomatic, the department said in a news release. Mass testing of all inmates has begun at the CoreCivic-operated Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, where 93 prisoners have tested positive. CoreCivic will begin testing their employees on Wednesday, officials said. Advocacy groups and elected officials have been concerned about the spread of the outbreak among vulnerable populations such as prisons, where inmates live close together and social distancing is difficult. Many of the cases have been found at Trousdale and at Bledsoe County Correctional Complex, where 583 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, the department reported.

Texas

Austin: The City Hall in the state capital was vandalized sometime late Monday or early Tuesday with red paint and anti-capitalism graffiti messages as the state prepares to slowly reopen one of the world’s largest economies that had been shu down because the coronavirus pandemic. Red paint was splattered across the front entrance of the building in Austin and messages were spray-painted on the steps outside. One message read: “MAY 1 INTERNATIONAL WORKERS DAY” with a hammer and sickle. Another said: “U.S. imperialism is the virus” and “socialist revolution is the cure!” The defacement occurred after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday outlined a plan that allows the state’s restaurants, retailers, movie theaters and malls to start letting customers trickle into their establishments starting May 1. The governor’s move comes as Texas and other states are processing a record-high surge in jobless claims and food banks are seeing spiking demands. However, testing for the virus remains limited. It was just the latest act of vandalism at Austin’s City Hall. In March, a man was arrested and accused of incinerating a statue of a grackle that stood outside the building, burning the art installation to the ground.

Utah

Hurricane: Campers looking to stay on Sand Hollow State Park’s beaches will be turned away in order to limit crowds during the coronavirus pandemic. The park reopened to all Utahns about 10 days ago and since then, the park has seen an influx of visitors, especially those looking to camp for extended periods, according to park ranger Jonathan Hunt. “What we’re trying to do is stay open but not have coronavirus issues at the same time,” Hunt said. “We’re looking to maximize the use of the beach and still comply with social distancing.” Gov. Gary Herbert had issued an order limiting state parks to county residents only. That was lifted on April 17. Last weekend, not only was Sand Hollow packed and closed early, but nearby Quail Creek and Gunlock state parks also closed around midday Saturday because of crowding. Sand Hollow has 7 miles of shoreline open to visitors. About four of those miles are used for day-use and camping. Many visitors who were coming to the park are setting up shop for several days, limiting the space available for day-use visitors on the beach.

Vermont

Montpelier: State officials are urging interested businesses to sign up quickly for the Paycheck Protection Program, the federal relief fund Congress created to help small businesses through the coronavirus crisis. A second round of funding was approved last week.“We are expecting even more speed with which this will get deployed,” Joan Goldstein, commissioner of the Department of Economic Development, said Monday. Under the program, businesses apply to lenders for funds to bring people back to work or to prevent layoffs, and part of the funds will be forgiven if they are used for payroll. Businesses that have applied should make sure they are in the queue by checking with their lender because the system is first-come, first-served, Goldstein said.

Virginia

Blacksburg: Virginia Tech estimated it could lose millions in revenue during the coming months as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The university already is estimating a revenue drain of $50 million to $67 million for spring and summer, President Tim Sands said in a statement released Sunday. Sands said the financial hit from canceled sports events, dining services, housing and other revenue streams is bound to make it a “challenging year.” The university could lose an additional $48 million to $240 million in the fall semester without accounting for potential losses from state funds, Sands said. University spokesman Mark Owczarski told the Roanoke Times that they anticipate students dropping their enrollment in summer classes and study-abroad programs. The estimates for the fall range more widely because the impact of the pandemic is unknown, Owczarski added. The school is also waiting until early June to announce how it will approach the fall semester, including tuition rates for students during the next academic year. Revenue from those fees account for nearly 35% of the school’s $1.7 billion annual budget.

Washington

Olympia: Fishing, hunting and golfing can resume on May 5 in Washington, at which time people can also return to state parks and other state lands for day trips, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Monday. However, Inslee said that if the state sees an uptick in infections of the coronavirus or if people don’t continue to take safety measures while recreating, the activities could again be restricted. Public gatherings and events, team sports and camping are still prohibited under the stay-at-home order that has been in place since March 23. “This is not a return to normal today, the virus is too rampant to allow that,” Inslee said. “This is only a beginning phase of relaxing our outdoor recreation.” Inslee has expressed caution about fully reopening the state too quickly and has said he will not be able to lift many of the stay-at-home restrictions implemented to fight the coronavirus by May 4 – the date through which the directive is in place. But he has said that the removal of certain restrictions would be phased in based on what statewide health data was showing.

West Virginia

Charleston: The West Virginia Humanities Council has begun releasing some content on the internet to address disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic. In March, self-recorded videos of some published poets from across the state were posted in “Poetry During a Time of Crisis: WV Poets on Community, Resilience, and the Power of the Arts.” New poets will be posted every Tuesday and Friday through the end of May. “We’re in a unique position to provide programming that helps West Virginians stay connected, in a time when many struggle with feeling isolated,” council Executive Director Eric Waggoner said in a news release. The videos are available on the council’s Facebook page. Also posted there are “Mysterious Mondays,” a series of 20- to 30-minute audiobooks read by Waggoner and council Program Officer Kyle Warmack. The programs are also available on the council’s YouTube channel, which can also be accessed through wvhumanities.org/programs/in-a-time-of-crisis.

Wisconsin

Madison: A group of labor unions asked the state Supreme Court on Tuesday for permission to help defend Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ stay-at-home order from Republicans who are trying to overturn it. The order, which was issued by state Department of Health Secretary Andrea Palm at Evers’ direction, required people to stay home except for going out to buy groceries or for other important reasons, and required most nonessential businesses to close. The order is designed to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, but Republicans and business leaders contend that the order has crippled the economy. GOP legislators filed a lawsuit directly with the conservative Supreme Court on April 21 seeking to block the order. They argued that it amounts to an administrative rule and Palm needed the Legislature’s approval before she could issue it. The order is set to expire on May 26. Evers has criticized the lawsuit as a blatant attempt to weaken his administration’s powers, calling it a “political coup.” The Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association, Madison Teachers Inc., Service Employees International Union Healthcare Wisconsin and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998 filed a motion with the court Tuesday morning seeking to intervene in the case. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, a conservative law firm, filed a brief Tuesday on behalf of the Independent Business Association of Wisconsin, Double Decker Automotive in Pleasant Prairie, and Shear Xcellence, a hair salon in Grafton. The businesses argued that the DHS has assumed so much power that it has come “perilously close” to tyranny and that legislators never intended to give the executive branch so much power.

Wyoming

Casper: Some school districts have decided to stay closed for the rest of the school year. Natrona County on Monday joined a handful of other districts, including Albany and Campbell counties, and the Green River-based Sweetwater County district, in deciding against reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Casper Star-Tribune reported. Wyoming’s 48 school districts have been closed for more than a month to slow the spread of the virus. They are scheduled to remain that way until at least Thursday, pending any new directives. Gov. Mark Gordon has not indicated whether he would order schools to remain closed, State Superintendent Jillian Balow has hinted that they would only be allowed to reopen for certain populations, such as those with special education plans.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 50 States