Pig trick record, blocking sunscreen bans, Philly suburb shift: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Montgomery: The City Council has rejected a proposal to punish people who give cash to panhandlers with jail time. The vote was unanimous after protesters packed a council meeting Tuesday night. Many wore stickers declaring that “poverty is not a crime.” One man held a sign saying, “Jesus was a panhandler.” The amendment would’ve criminalized passing money or objects through car windows to someone on a public road. It was tacked onto an ordinance that requires panhandlers be jailed for at least two days. That ordinance still stands. It was unanimously passed in July but has yet to be enforced or signed by Mayor Todd Strange, who’s in the final days of his term. Mayor-elect Steven Reed takes over the office next Tuesday.

Alaska

Anchorage: Anyone with unpaid parking fines at the University of Alaska Anchorage campus has the option to reduce or cover the cost of their tickets with peanut butter and jelly. KTUU-TV reports the university says it will take donations for its annual payment tradition until Friday to help combat student hunger. Officials say the food goes to students in need. University officials say each person may use PB&J payments for two citations issued within the past 45 days. Officials say two 16-ounce jars offer a $10 credit, three jars offer a $35 credit, and five jars offer a $60 credit. Officials say any unopened commercially produced nut butter – almond, cashew, peanut – or any flavor jam, jelly, marmalade or preserves will be accepted.

Arizona

Tucson: Voters in one of the state’s most liberal cities rejected an initiative Tuesday that would have created the state’s only sanctuary city amid concerns that it went too far in restricting police officers. The measure drew fierce opposition from the mayor and city council, all of them Democrats, who said the initiative risked public safety and millions of dollars the city gets from the state and federal governments. The measure was pushed by activists who wanted to give a voice to Tucson’s Latino community. They said it would have sent the message that immigrants are safe and protected in Tucson at a time when many are fearful of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Officials said Tucson police have already adopted rules that go as far as legally possible to restrict officers from enforcing federal immigration laws.

Arkansas

Helena-West Helena: The city is shelving a plan to establish a 24-hour curfew in high-crime neighborhoods. Helena-West Helena officials have discussed instituting the measure after three homicides in two days last month. Police Chief James Smith said at the time that he planned to put the issue on the City Council agenda at a meeting Tuesday. But the city is now delaying a decision. Mayor Kevin Smith told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Tuesday that one problem with implementing such a plan is the shortage of facilities for holding people who get arrested as a result of increased police activity. Smith said Helena-West Helena will focus on high-crime areas using current laws and will increase officer training. The city already has a curfew for minors.

California

Los Angeles: Police say they recovered $800,000 worth of prints by Scottish abstract expressionist Benjamin Creme after a caller told them they were in their San Fernando home. Police believe the 1,200 signed prints were there for several years, but the person who had them only recently checked a law-enforcement database and discovered they were stolen. Detectives said Tuesday that the caller, who was not identified, told them they were found in a late relative’s storage locker. They include “Flame-Coloured Deva,” “Shakti II” and other works by Creme, who in later years became better known for his belief in UFOs and predictions of a second coming of Christ and other messiahs. He died in 2016.

Colorado

Grand Junction: A former U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist who pleaded guilty to selling Colorado bobcat pelts to fur traders has been sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay $55,100 in fines and restitution. During a hearing Tuesday in Grand Junction, U.S. District Judge Marcia Krieger also ordered Thad Bingham never to use or possess a firearm again, including weapons he transferred to his wife. He had faced up to 18 months in prison. The Daily Sentinel reports his lawyer, Ashley Petrey, asked for leniency since he lost his job and won’t be able to hunt again. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Evans said Bingham has two previous poaching convictions and hasn’t learned his lesson. He said Bingham has more than $1 million in assets, enabling him to pay a high fine.

Connecticut

Enfield: A group of prisoners is learning to cope with issues such as post-traumatic stress by interacting with horses. The equine-assisted psychotherapy program is offered in a special Department of Correction unit for military veterans at the Willard-Cybulski Correctional Institution in Enfield. Daniel Elliot, who suffered a brain injury while in the Navy, is serving time for an arson he committed while trying to kill himself inside his Norwich apartment. Elliot says the program, run at no charge to the state by the group Healing Hoofbeats, calms him, has helped him open up about his problems and gives him something to look forward to each week. Elliot is one of six inmates participating in the pilot program, which Correction Commissioner Rollin Cook says he hopes to expand to other prisons.

Delaware

Wilmington: A controversial “blight bill” has suffered another setback in the City Council despite a twist designed to appease critics. With the measure beset for three years by opposition from homeowner, landlord and tenant advocates, council members on Thursday again planned to compromise on the legislation intended to crack down on the owners of vacant and blighted properties. Again, the attempt appeared to fail. The bill passed a committee this week but was pulled from the City Council agenda Wednesday morning. Bill sponsor Bud Freel did not immediately respond to a request for comment. After making concessions to homeowners but still facing pushback from other property owners, Freel had planned to push for a vote Thursday – this time with a provision that the changes would be temporary.

District of Columbia

Washington: Most of the D.C. Council is asking Councilman Jack Evans to resign after a third party released its investigation into allegations of ethics violations. News outlets report the council-hired law firm O’Melveny & Myers publicly released its investigation into Evans this week, saying he violated the council’s ethics rules 11 times since 2014. It says he repeatedly used his office to benefit private clients who paid him hundreds of thousands of dollars, payments that he failed to disclose or recognize as conflicts of interest. Such allegations also are under investigation by federal authorities and have already cost Evans his role as chair of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority board. Evans’ attorneys released a 67-page rebuttal Tuesday saying the law firm’s report is flawed and misunderstands council ethics rules.

Florida

Tallahassee: Tourist haven Key West wants to protect coral reefs that attract divers, so it’s banning sunscreens that contain chemicals that could harm them. But state lawmakers who think it’s more important to protect humans are moving toward outlawing the island’s sunscreen ban and making sure no other local governments impose similar ordinances. The battle pits local governments against state government and environmentalists against dermatologists in an argument about coral bleaching and skin cancer. A bill sponsored by Sen. Rob Bradley has been approved in two committees and has one more stop before reaching the full state Senate. An identical House bill was set to make the first of three committee stops Wednesday. The sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone or octinoxate in Key West will be illegal starting in 2021.

Georgia

Atlanta: Gov. Brian Kemp released a plan Monday to expand Medicaid to the state’s poorest able-bodied adults, on the condition that they work, volunteer, receive job training or attend school. Under Kemp’s proposal, which is more limited than efforts in other states, uninsured adults in Georgia who make no more than the federal poverty level would qualify for Medicaid assistance if they spent at least 80 hours a month working, volunteering, training or studying. They would also have to pay monthly premiums. The federal poverty level is just under $12,500 for an individual. The governor’s office called the approach a “conservative reform” that reflects the state’s values as a place that “honors work” and “champions individual responsibility.” It would require approval from the Trump administration.

Hawaii

Lihue: The U.S. Air Force has approved a naval facility and airport as the preferred alternative site for a technical squadron tasked with monitoring satellites in support of the national security space mission. The Garden Island reports the Space Control Squadron would operate out of the Barking Sands Pacific Missile Range Facility in western Kauai. Officials say the squadron would ensure that military and other national security agencies have access to satellite communication, intelligence and key information. Officials say the unit is also expected to bring more federal funds and jobs to the state supporting 88 new Hawaii Air National Guard positions. Federal officials say the basing process is expected to be completed by 2020, with the unit becoming partially operational by 2021 and fully operational by 2022.

Idaho

Boise: A giant forest project in the state that was rejected by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is on again, and an environmental group says it violates the court’s orders and vows it will stop it with another lawsuit. The U.S. Forest Service on Friday approved the 125-square-mile project on the Payette National Forest, with work expected to start this week. The Forest Service and the Alliance for the Wild Rockies agree the project is precisely the same as the one halted by the 9th Circuit Court’s ruling against the Forest Service in August 2018. But the Forest Service says changes in wording in an environmental review remove problems that caused the court to stop the project, and the Forest Service’s new approval decision Friday allows work to begin immediately.

Illinois

Springfield: The state is receiving federal money to help build infrastructure for alternative-fuel vehicles along Interstate 80. The Illinois Department of Transportation says the grant is part of an effort to create an alternative-fuel corridor that supports electric vehicles and vehicles that run on natural gas. It will span six states, from New Jersey to the Iowa-Nebraska border. The $70,000 in federal funds will be combined with $10,000 each from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The money will be used to identify gaps along Interstate 80 where fueling and charging facilities aren’t available and to provide those options. Omer Osman, acting secretary of IDOT, says that “these improvements will help make interstate travel on alternative fuel a reality” and make travel more environmentally friendly.

Indiana

Indianapolis: The state will be home to the nation’s newest National Guard cyber battalion. State officials say the 127th Cyber Battalion will be composed of about 100 soldiers who will be trained in cybersecurity and cyber warfare at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, about 75 miles southeast of Indianapolis. Army National Guard officials say they chose Indiana’s force for its existing cyber capabilities, partnerships with industry and academia, and the ability to recruit and retain soldiers. Gov. Eric Holcomb says the state is a “natural fit” for the first cyber battalion in the Midwest. The battalion is expected to be fully operational by 2022. There are four other cyber battalions in the country: two in Virginia, one in South Carolina and another in Massachusetts.

Iowa

Newton: Joy, the American Mini Spokes-Pig for the Capitol II Theatre, has been recognized for her talents by Guinness World Records. In the 2020 edition of the famous record book, Joy was officially named the fastest trick porker in the universe. Her feat, overseen by two judges – Newton’s mayor and the city’s chief of police – was successfully completing 13 tricks, each initiated by a different command, in under a minute. A ham in more ways than one, Joy is a local celebrity and performer with her own dressing room at the theater – a peek-a-boo window lets visitors steal a gander of her from the street. And Joy is always red-carpet ready, of course, complete with painted toenails and her favorite dress, a resplendent taffeta number emblazoned with cartoon popcorn buckets (her favorite food).

Kansas

Topeka: The acting secretary of the state Department of Corrections said during his confirmation hearing that a mass commutation of offenders was worth considering. The Wichita Eagle reports Jeff Zmuda was asked to comment Tuesday on what happened one day earlier, when more than 450 inmates walked out the doors of prisons across Oklahoma as part of a massive commutation. Zmuda said Kansas officials are looking at several ways to make reforms and ease overcrowding, and “that’s certainly one that could be considered.” Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning said releasing nonviolent inmates “sounds like a fantastic idea” but cautioned that if someone who has been released early commits a violent act, “there’s hell to pay.” The hearing ended with a Senate committee recommending that Zmuda be confirmed. The full Senate will vote early next year.

Kentucky

Frankfort: State Senate President Robert Stivers threw another wrench into a razor-thin gubernatorial outcome late Tuesday night, saying the Legislature could decide the race. Stivers’ comments came shortly after Gov. Matt Bevin refused to concede to Attorney General Andy Beshear, who led by roughly 5,100 votes when all the precincts were counted. Stivers, R-Manchester, said based on his staff’s research, the decision could come before the GOP-controlled Legislature. Under state law, Bevin has 30 days to formally contest the outcome once it is certified by the State Board of Elections. Candidates typically ask for a recanvass of voting machines and a recount first. The last contested governor’s race was the 1899 election of Democrat William Goebel. Stivers said he believes most of the votes that went to Libertarian John Hicks, who received about 2% of the total vote, would have gone to Bevin and made him the clear winner.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: Three months after medical marijuana became available in the state, doctors and clinics say some patients are finding the cost for therapeutic cannabis too high for treatment, pricing them out of a medication they waited years to obtain. Nine pharmacies dispense medicinal-grade pot and set their individual prices. Dispensary owners say their charges reflect an industry with startup charges, small patient numbers and lengthy regulatory hurdles to meet. In August, Louisiana became the first Deep South state to dispense medical marijuana, four years after state lawmakers agreed to give patients access. Kathryn Thomas, CEO of The Healing Clinics, says a third of the medical marijuana patients across its five clinics in Shreveport, Monroe, Baton Rouge, Houma and Lafayette can’t foot the bill for the product.

Maine

Augusta: It’s almost safe to be a turkey in Maine again. The Pine Tree State’s fall wild turkey season ends for the year Thursday. The fall turkey hunt is the longer of the state’s two turkey hunts, with a more restricted season taking place every spring. Wild turkeys are popular game birds, and the state uses the hunt to control their population. The animals were once rare in Maine but are now so common that they sometimes cause traffic accidents and other hazards. Hunters are allowed to take up to five wild turkeys of either sex in some parts of the state. However, parts of far northern Maine are closed to turkey hunting.

Maryland

Rockville: Departments and agencies in Montgomery County are embarking on a campaign to make residents aware of the added challenges of the switch to standard time. The approximately 20 planned “Be Safe, Be Seen” events, the first of which was held Wednesday at the Shady Grove Metro Station, are aimed at both adults and children. The campaign will distribute safety literature, reflective stickers, and items that will remind people to avoid distractions and maximize safe behaviors and visibility, especially in darkness. A 2016 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that 26% of all pedestrian deaths occurred between 6 p.m. and 8:59 p.m. Because peak evening commuting times in fall and winter occur during periods of increased darkness, danger is increased.

Massachusetts

Boston: First lady Melania Trump on Wednesday visited a hospital that uses cuddling to help infants born dependent on drugs or alcohol. She met with caregivers and administrators at Boston Medical Center and told them she’s “very focused” on their pioneering work with babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome. “I hope today’s visit helps shine a light on programs like yours,” she said, joined by Alex Azar, secretary of health and human services. Outside, as many as 200 workers at the hospital gathered to protest the visit, condemning the tough immigration policies of President Donald Trump’s administration that they say discourage immigrants from getting health care. Some wore white hospital jackets with the slogan “We really do care, do you?” on the backs. Others carried signs that read, “BMC cares for all patients.”

Michigan

Traverse City: A new forecast says Great Lakes levels are likely to remain unusually high and may set additional records. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office in Detroit on Monday released its outlook for the next six months. Hydrologist Keith Kompoltowicz says a wet October interrupted the usual fall drop-off of water levels. Storms over Lakes Michigan, Huron and Superior caused beach erosion, flooding, and damage to seawalls and roads. Kompoltowicz says all five Great Lakes are expected to resume their seasonal decline. But they’ll remain well above normal and will be higher in January than they were at the beginning of this record-setting year. He says Huron and Michigan are likely to set monthly records in February, while Superior will come close. Kompoltowicz says a lengthy dry spell would be required to reverse the trend.

Minnesota

St. Paul: Winter anglers on Mille Lacs Lake will be allowed to keep one walleye this winter for the fourth season in a row. The Department of Natural Resources announced winter regulations for Mille Lacs on Monday. Similar to last winter, anglers can keep one walleye starting Dec. 1 if it’s between 21 and 23 inches, or over 28. DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen says there’s evidence the state’s conservative approach to managing the popular lake is paying off. A fall assessment found the Mille Lacs walleye population has remained relatively stable over the past three years, having rebounded from lows seen from 2012 through 2016. Fisheries chief Brad Parsons says they expect the walleye bite on Mille Lacs to be quite good this winter, which will likely result in a high harvest.

Mississippi

Pascagoula: A new historical marker is honoring the oldest continuously operating African American church in the state. Members of St. Peter Baptist Church in Pascagoula gathered Saturday to celebrate the unveiling of a marker that was placed by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. The coastal church was founded in 1819 by a freed slave named Dudley Brooks. It originally was called First Free Mission Baptist Church. Pastor William H. Marshall tells WLOX-TV that he’s pleased the congregation is being recognized by the state. Congregants buried a time capsule with church programs and other items. The plan is to dig it up in 20 years.

Missouri

Kansas City: Voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved removing Dr. Martin Luther King’s name from one of the city’s most historic boulevards, less than a year after the City Council decided to rename the Paseo for the civil rights icon. Unofficial results showed the proposal to remove King’s name received nearly 70% of the vote, with just over 30% voting to retain King’s name. The city had been one of the largest in the country without a street named for him. But a group of residents intent on keeping the Paseo name began collecting petitions to put the name change on the ballot and achieved that goal in April. The campaign has been divisive. Emotions reached a peak Sunday, when members of the “Save the Paseo” group staged a silent protest at a get-out-the-vote rally at a black church.

Montana

Billings: The speed limit on a deadly stretch of U.S. 212 in southeast Montana has been reduced to 65 mph. The Billings Gazette reports the Montana Department of Transportation lowered the speed limit Oct. 1 on the highway’s corridor that passes through both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Reservations and four counties: Big Horn, Rosebud, Powder River and Carter. The stretch merges with Interstate 90 at the Bighorn Battlefield interchange and travels 167 miles east to the Montana-Wyoming state line. MDOT Traffic and Safety Bureau chief Gabe Priebe says statistics show the stretch is the deadliest highway in Montana.

Nebraska

Bellevue: Speakers at a public hearing have criticized a proposal that could lead to the firing of elected officials in this Omaha suburb for leaking information from closed meetings. The first proposal says dissemination of information from closed sessions by an elected official could result in an “allegation of misconduct.” The second proposal says a finding of misconduct could result in that official’s removal from office. Former Bellevue Councilman Jim Moudry said at Tuesday night’s hearing that he was troubled by the notion the city would be able to decide what behaviors constitute misconduct. Councilman Chuck Fredrick and other said such decisions belong to voters. Councilwoman Kathy Welch backed the proposals, saying the city holds employees to high standards when conducting city business, so it should be no different for elected officials.

Nevada

Las Vegas: Despite protests about a “war on the poor,” city officials passed a law Wednesday making it illegal for the homeless to sleep on streets when beds are available at established shelters. The issue spurred emotion and drama, including the ejection by city marshals of several audience members whom Mayor Carolyn Goodman deemed disruptive during a daylong City Council meeting that drew dozens of time-limited comments. Most people spoke against the law before the 5-2 council vote. The measure will apply to the city’s downtown urban core, not the tourist-heavy Las Vegas Strip, which is overseen by a different jurisdiction. Goodman, the sponsor of the measure, called it imperfect but necessary to deal with what officials and downtown business owners characterize as a homeless crisis.

New Hampshire

Concord: The Division of Historical Resources has added eight properties to its historic register, including five from Litchfield’s town center. The buildings along Route 3A include the Gothic Revival Litchfield Presbyterian Church; the Greek Revival Town Hall; the Tudor Revival Aaron Cutler Memorial Library; the Colonial Revival Griffin Memorial School; and the Litchfield Fire Station. The church and town hall go back to the mid-1800s. Other properties include the George Burrell residence in Keene, an 1853 predominantly brick Italianate-style house; the Willing Workers Hall in Warren, a social hall built in 1815; and Westmoreland’s Federal-style Brick Church, built in 1838.

New Jersey

Jersey City: The mayor is denying he engaged in prohibited campaigning during voting on hotly contested measures restricting Airbnb and other short-term rental companies. A short video posted online Tuesday shows Mayor Steven Fulop speaking to someone inside a polling place near a voting booth. The conversation isn’t entirely intelligible, but Fulop can be heard saying, ‘So vote ‘yes.’ ” At a news conference Wednesday, Fulop said he was thanking poll workers and didn’t approach anyone or hand out literature. State law bans soliciting support or distributing literature within 100 feet of a polling place. A spokesman for Keep Our Homes, an organization opposed to the measures, said in an email that Fulop’s actions showed “a shocking disregard for the law.”

New Mexico

Albuquerque: Presbyterian Healthcare Services and the University of New Mexico are teaming to lure nurses into some of the state’s most rural areas. The Albuquerque Journal reports the two health care organizations recently collaborated to land a $3.2 million grant to develop a residency program for nurse practitioners in 10 New Mexico cities and towns. The four-year grant from the national Health Resources and Services Administration will help nurses and midwives relocate and stay in remote areas. Officials say the program also will focus on mental health. Presbyterian Director of Clinical Education and Professional Development Johanna Stiesmeyer says New Mexico’s rural counties have a wide nurse-to-resident ratio. The first group of nurses and midwives will be selected in the first half of 2020.

New York

Albany: President Donald Trump isn’t a fan of the state’s new bail reform law, which will curtail the number of people jailed while awaiting trial. The president tweeted Tuesday that New York’s Democratic governor and mayor “are letting out 900 Criminals, some hardened & bad onto the sidewalks of our rapidly declining” city. That was a reference to estimates from New York City’s corrections officials on the number of prisoners who might be eligible for release under the new law. Gov. Andrew Cuomo punched back, saying Trump gave up his right to call New York home when he recently claimed Florida residency. The state’s law was passed to address complaints that poor people accused of minor crimes were often jailed for long periods because they couldn’t afford to post bail.

North Carolina

Knightdale: An assistant high school football coach has resigned after making racist comments on Instagram. News outlets report John Hoskins resigned over the weekend from his post at Knightdale High School. WTVD-TV reports Hoskins, who is white, posted a now-deleted video to Instagram in which he said “white power” and the n-word. Hoskins told the station Tuesday that “just to set the record, I’m not a racist.” He says his black friends have given him the OK to use the word, as have players on the majority-black team that he coached. He says he posted the video and used the slur while caught up in celebrating the team’s win against Corinth Holders High last week. The video was shared with administrators before Hoskins deleted it.

North Dakota

Bismarck: Gov. Doug Burgum is urging U.S. Customs and Border Protection not to cut hours of operation at three entry ports on the North Dakota-Canadian border. Border Protection has proposed moving back the closing time at the Maida and Carbury crossings from 10 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the Antler crossing from 10 p.m. to 5 p.m. In a letter to the CBP, Burgum noted all three ports experienced an increase in automobile and truck crossings in fiscal year 2018. Burgum says he’s concerned reducing the hours of operation will have a negative impact on tourism, movement of goods and local economies. The agency says that it wants to use its resources at the busiest locations and that there are low numbers of crossings during the times it plans to cut.

Ohio

Columbus: Voters have approved nearly three-quarters of the public school district tax issues that were on ballots across the state for Tuesday’s election. The Ohio School Boards Association says unofficial results show voters passed 113 of the 154 school tax issues on the ballot, or 73%. The association says just over half of the proposals were renewals, and all but a few of those 82 renewal measures were approved. There was less support for new school tax issues, as only 35 of those 72 issues were passed. The votes come as state lawmakers are considering a possible overhaul of how Ohio schools are funded with a mix of state and local dollars. Ohio’s school-funding system has become a complicated patchwork since the system was found unconstitutional in 1997.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: The state Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a ban on a second-trimester abortion procedure. The high court acted Monday after an abortion clinic appealed a lower court judge’s decision to uphold a ban on a second-trimester abortion procedure. The Tulsa Women’s Reproductive Clinic requested the temporary injunction to put the law on hold, telling justices the law would be detrimental for women. The 2015 law would restrict the use of instruments in dilation and evacuation abortions after 14 weeks of pregnancy, except when needed to save the woman’s life or prevent a serious risk to her health. It had been on hold while the legal challenge was pending. State numbers show nearly 7% of about 5,000 abortions performed in Oklahoma in 2018 were performed using this method.

Oregon

Eugene: A year ago a California group rejected more than 2,000 tons of wine grapes grown in Southern Oregon for supposed smoke taint from wildfire impact in the region, representing a $4 million dollar collective loss for more than 15 grape growers in the Rogue Valley. This year, a collective of Willamette Valley winemakers is being recognized with a national award for what they did next. The wineries quickly made arrangements to bring some of the fruit north. Based on lab results from each lot, they believed the grapes had been rejected without cause. They labeled their collaborative wines Oregon Solidarity Wines and pledged proceeds from their sale back to the grape growers. Wine Enthusiast Magazine has awarded Oregon Solidarity with a 2019 Wine Star Award for Innovator of the Year.

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia: Democrats completed an electoral sweep of the metro area’s four suburban counties, long a bastion of Republican control and a crucial bellwether for statewide candidates. Democrats won control in Delaware and Chester counties in Tuesday’s election for the first time going back to the Civil War and won control in Bucks County for the first time since the 1980s. Democrats took control of Montgomery County several years ago. The fast-growing counties now account for more than 1 in 5 of all registered voters, and they tend to vote in higher proportions than the rest of the state. The Democratic victories in Delaware and Chester counties were particularly strong, winning every countywide race. For three decades, the counties had been growing increasingly liberal, but the trend seems to have accelerated since Donald Trump’s election as president.

Rhode Island

Providence: An analysis of the city’s electronic bike and scooter share shows users took nearly 170,000 scooter rides and more than 280,000 bike rides in the first year of the programs. The city report also contains information on average trips and areas where the devices were most popular. City councilmember Jo-Ann Ryan requested the analysis about three months ago and tells the Providence Journal the six-page report downplays public safety concerns and is missing information on routes, accident data and public input. Ryan says a comprehensive report is needed to inform future policies and prevent some of the issues that have cropped up. Providence announced in August that it was temporarily pulling the electronic bikes operated by the company JUMP over concerns of their misuse.

South Carolina

Greenville: After two decades of decline, the state’s infant mortality rate has inched up, largely due to an increase in birth defects and premature births, state health officials said Wednesday. The state’s infant mortality rate declined 30% since 1999 but increased from 6.5 deaths to 7.2 per 1,000 births between 2017 to 2018, a 10.8% increase, said Kimberly Seals, director of the Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Bureau of Maternal and Child Health. During that time, infant deaths related to birth defects increased from 64 to 82, or 28%, she said. And the number of deaths related to prematurity or low birthweight increased from 52 to 58, or 11%, she said. In addition, Seals said, the infant mortality rate was 2.2 times higher among minorities.

South Dakota

Sioux Falls: Gov. Kristi Noem has reiterated her opposition to legalizing industrial hemp production, even in the face of new federal rules allowing the cash crop. Hemp is seen as a possible boon by many farmers, but Noem said in a statement Tuesday that legalizing it would hamper enforcement of marijuana laws. But the governor also says South Dakota will allow the crop to be transported across the state. Last month, police arrested a Colorado man for carrying large bags of what he claims was hemp in his SUV. The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a new regulatory framework for hemp production last week, saying it will provide new economic opportunities for farmers and pave the way for new products and markets.

Tennessee

Nashville: To help alleviate issues with driver’s license facilities, the state Department of Safety and Homeland Security is looking to hire 80 employees, expand hours of operation, consider outsourcing some operations and implement recommendations from a more than decade-old study. That’s what the agency’s top official, Commissioner Jeff Long, told Gov. Bill Lee and his administration Wednesday while outlining the department’s budgetary needs for the upcoming fiscal year. Although it oversees the Tennessee Highway Patrol, homeland security and the safety of residents in the Volunteer State, the agency has received a considerable amount of attention for continued issues regarding the issuance of driver’s licenses. With 44 official driver’s license facilities throughout the state, the agency has faced frustration over long wait times and technology crashes.

Texas

Killeen: Family members of the 13 people killed in a mass shooting at the Fort Hood military base have marked the 10th anniversary of the attack. A ceremony was held Tuesday at Fort Hood in Killeen to remember the victims of the Nov. 5, 2009, attack. Thirteen people were killed and more than 30 others injured when then-U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Hasan opened fire at the base. Hasan was sentenced to death for the killings. But the Killeen Daily Herald reports many of the victims’ families expressed frustration that no execution date has been set for Hasan, who is among four soldiers on military death row.

Utah

Salt Lake City: The University of Utah says a new mental health institute funded by a $150 million donation from the influential Huntsman family will focus on researching the genetic causes of mental illnesses and provide more treatment to college students and rural residents. The university said in a news release Monday that the Huntsman Mental Health Institute will aim to provided research-based treatment. The donation will also help fund the University of Utah Health’s psychiatry department. The Huntsmans already have a major cancer research center in Utah that bears the family name. The late Jon Huntsman Sr. was the founder of a company that refines raw materials that go into thousands of products. One of his sons, Peter Huntsman, says he hopes the institute help change the stigma and misperceptions about mental health.

Vermont

St. Johnsbury: A church will begin hosting a morning “warming center” for the winter season. The United Community Church in St. Johnsbury announced its “warming center” will be open seven days a week beginning Nov. 15, the same day the overnight warming shelter opens. The church’s effort to house an overnight shelter was met with opposition from St. Johnsbury Select Board members in 2015. The board had added language to the town’s bylaws forbidding shelters outside the health services zone. The Caledonian Record reports the decision to host the warming program follows a five-month pilot program last year. The community organizers say the morning center is open to anyone in the community. The center will operate from 7:30 a.m. to noon Monday through Sunday.

Virginia

Newport News: A Democratic candidate who lost a random drawing that determined control of the state House of Delegates nearly two years ago easily won a rematch against her Republican opponent. Shelly Simonds defeated four-term Del. David Yancey handily Tuesday in a race for the 94th District in Newport News. The close 2017 race between the two went to a recount, then to court. Eventually, officials used the luck of the draw, placing the name of each candidate on a piece of paper and each piece of paper in a separate film canister. The canisters were put into a cobalt blue-and-white ceramic bowl made by a local artist and stirred around. The canister containing Yancey’s name was drawn, giving him the win. On Tuesday, Simonds won nearly 58% of the vote. Yancey won about 40%.

Washington

Kennewick: The City Council has repealed its decade-old rules governing dangerous dogs after a new state law weakened breed-specific regulations. The Tri-City Herald reports the Legislature passed a state law requiring cities with breed-specific legislation to exempt dogs that can be certified as good canine citizens by the American Kennel Club or other organizations. Kennewick City Council voted Tuesday to get rid of its former regulations instead of adopting rules exempting well-mannered dogs. Officials say Kennewick first adopted breed-specific regulations after increased reports about injuries inflicted by dangerous dogs like pit bulls. Advocates and pit bull owners say regulations included having special licenses and muzzling dogs in public. Officials say the rules do not exempt owners from liability if their pets attack.

West Virginia

Charleston: West Virginia American Water has awarded grants to provide bottle-filling stations to 10 groups throughout the utility’s service area. The company says in a statement that the program is aimed at reducing plastic waste from single-use bottles and providing filling stations to nonprofit groups, schools and local government facilities. Among the groups that were selected from more than 90 applications are the AD Lewis Community Center in Huntington and Salt Rock Elementary School in Cabell County; the Fayette County Public Library in Oak Hill; the Putnam County Public Library in Hurricane; and Lewis County High School and the Lewis County Park in Weston. Other groups involved include Mercer Elementary School in Princeton and CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital, the West Virginia Capitol Complex and Flinn Elementary School, all in Charleston.

Wisconsin

Madison: State legislators struggled Wednesday with a bill that would force schools to teach cursive writing, questioning whether they should make teachers spend time and money preserving the centuries-old style in today’s computerized world. Republican Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt, a former teacher, introduced the bill in September that would require schools receiving state dollars to include cursive in their elementary curriculum, with the goal of having students write legibly in cursive by the end of fifth grade. Thiesfeldt’s bill wouldn’t come cheap, at least according to state education officials, but he tried to make a case for the measure during a public hearing in front of the Assembly’s state affairs committee Wednesday afternoon. He said studies have shown writing in cursive fosters neurological connections in students’ brains, improves retention and can help dyslexic children read because cursive letters are more distinctive than printed letters.

Wyoming

Casper: The Wyoming Association of Broadcasters says it will push state lawmakers to pass a media shield law. Wyoming is the only state in the nation without legal protections for journalists who refuse to provide the names of confidential sources to law enforcement officers. Such laws can encourage whistleblowers to report wrongdoing without fear of retaliation. Wyoming Association of Broadcasters lobbyist Laura Grott says the state lacks a shield law not because of opposition but because of a lack of effort by Wyoming media. The broadcast journalist group unveiled the proposal at a recent meeting of the Legislature’s Joint Judiciary Committee. The Casper Star-Tribune reports the Wyoming Press Association has largely resisted a media shield law. The newspaper organization argues existing First Amendment protections are enough for the press and their sources.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pig trick record, blocking sunscreen bans: News from around our 50 states