Rosa Parks statue, newborn polar bear cub, quake rocks Oregon: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Montgomery: Court Square was packed Sunday for the unveiling of a new statue of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks. At least 400 people showed up for the unveiling of the statue at the downtown site where Parks got on the bus the day she was arrested, a key moment in the civil rights movement. The unveiling was part of several tributes to the day Parks was arrested for refusing to give her seat to a white man on a city bus on Dec. 1, 1955. Her arrest was one of the events that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott that challenged segregation on public buses. Along with the Parks memorial, the city presented two historic markers for the plaintiffs of Browder v. Gayle – the landmark case that ruled segregation on Montgomery buses was unconstitutional. Fred Gray, the attorney who defended Parks and many other civil rights heroes, sat in the second row for the unveiling. The civil rights memorials are a partnership between the city of Montgomery, Montgomery County, the Alabama Department of Tourism and the Montgomery Area Business Committee for the Arts. Clydetta Fulmer was the artist commissioned to complete the statue of Parks.

Alaska

Anchorage: The Anchorage Assembly approved funds to study how the city would build a waste-to-energy incineration plant to contend with its landfill limits, officials said. The assembly approved $100,000 from its Solid Waste Services budget Tuesday to fund a plan to be completed in 90 days, The Anchorage Daily News reported Thursday. The $300 million to $400 million plant would require seven to 10 years of work before opening, officials said. The landfill in Eagle River has an estimated 42 operational years left, and an incineration plant would increase that lifespan to 177 years, Anchorage Solid Waste Services Manager Mark Spafford said. Other options include sending trash north to the Matanuska-Susitna Valley or removing it by water using a barge, although neither are economically viable, Spafford said. The study does not commit the city to build the plant, but would give officials a better idea of costs, time needed and benefits, Spafford said. While burning the city’s garbage, the plant would produce 20 to 30 megawatts of power at peak capacity. Anchorage now produces 7.2 megawatts from methane captured at the landfill, officials said. The plant could also burn sludge from Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility, eliminating the need for a new $100 million incinerator for the utility, Spafford said.

Arizona

Phoenix: Three tornadoes touched down in the metro Phoenix area early Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service. “I can tell you that even getting one (in Phoenix) is pretty rare and getting one from this type of weather system is not too common,” said Andrew Deemer, a meteorologist with the weather service. The first confirmed tornado occurred about 4 a.m. in the Gilbert area of Williams Field Road and the Loop 202, the agency tweeted about 7 p.m. Friday. The second tornado occurred about the same time in the Queen Creek-area while the third occurred in the Paradise Valley-area, it added. Although they were estimated to be weak tornadoes, the agency said each caused damage ranging from downed trees and power poles to damaged roofs. Two tornado warnings were briefly in effect early Friday morning when the rain hit the Valley and snow caused freeway closures and power outages in the high country. The agency tweeted that on May 4, 1976, and Feb. 13, 1992, three tornadoes touched down in Maricopa County each day. Deemer said in 2010, the Flagstaff/Bellemont area had three strong tornadoes around the same time. The Valley last had a tornado in September when one touched down around New River.

Arkansas

Mountain Home: Sgt. Ken Grayham of the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office rescued an adult barred owl that had been hit by a vehicle on state highway 5 a few miles north of Midway. Grayham responded to the call because there were no Game & Fish Commission officers nearby. Taking a dispatcher’s recommendation, Grayham dropped his raincoat over the bird and after a brief struggle, was able to get the owl into his patrol car. He took the owl to All Creatures Veterinary Hospital in Mountain Home. Dr. Darcy Stephenson, he hospital’s avian expert, said the owl will lose sight in its eye and that the incident caused its brain to swell. That’s the primary concern now for the bird’s health. “We’ll keep an eye on him pretty closely today to monitor the swelling,” Stephenson said. “But he’s already flying around in his cage in the isolation room so that’s a good sign.” Once the bird heals from its injuries, it will be released back into the wild, despite losing sight in its eye. “Owls don’t hunt by sight,” Stephenson said. “They hunt by sound and by smell so the loss of the eye will not impact his ability to feed himself.”

California

Oxnard: Authorities said a garage fire has displaced three people and a large number of reptiles. The Ventura County Star reported Sunday that firefighters found a dozen or two dozen reptiles after battling an electric fire in a detached garage on Saturday. Oxnard Fire Department Battalion Chief Steve McNaughten said the animals included a boa constrictor and a 6-foot-long lizard. He said several animals died in the blaze in the city about 60 miles west of Los Angeles. McNaughten said the Red Cross typically helps with displaced house pets but additional help was sought because of the large number of reptiles.

Colorado

Fort Collins: Housing Catalyst, an agency that helps provide affordable housing, will be able to provide housing for 34 more nonelderly residents with disabilities through a $300,000 grant from U.S. Housing and Urban Development. Housing Catalyst is one of seven public housing agencies in Colorado and 325 across the country to share in a $131.3 million grant. The grant is part of HUD’s Mainstream Housing Choice Voucher Program that provides funding to agencies to help people with disabilities, particularly those who are homeless, previously homeless, at risk of becoming homeless, transitioning out of institutional or other separated settings, or at serious risk of institutionalization, according to a press release from HUD announcing the grant. Housing Catalyst had to get other partner agencies to commit to providing things like home modifications, housing search assistance and tenancy support to win the grant, said Michele Christensen, chief operating officer of Housing Catalyst. The agency is still evaluating the best way to notify those who meet the eligibility criteria and create an application process, Christensen said. HUD has not released the funds yet, so it is unlikely the vouchers would be given out before the new year.

Connecticut

Hartford: It’s unknown whether efforts next year to make the seasonal flu vaccine more accessible to children will get any traction. Given the anticipated debate about whether to end Connecticut’s religious exemption from certain childhood vaccinations, the CEO of the Connecticut Pharmacists Association said his group doesn’t plan to push for a bill in the next regular legislative session that would allow young people to get a flu shot from a pharmacist. Nathan Tinker said concerns raised by parents skeptical about the safety of vaccines could impede efforts to make the flu vaccine more accessible. Groton Sen. Heather Somers, a Republican, said she still plans to resurrect the bill when lawmakers return in February. She said the legislation will save lives. Currently, pharmacists can only administer flu shots to adults.

Delaware

New Castle: Firefighters worked Thursday afternoon to control a blaze that tore through a home near New Castle. Multiple fire companies responded to the incident at a one-story house on the 20 block of Jay Drive. Smoke poured out of a broken front windows and crews were seen tearing through the roof and garage walls. At about 4:30 p.m., the fire was under control, a dispatcher said. He could not provide information about the extent of the damage or if anyone was injured. Neighbors who were gathered around the scene said residents of the house did not appear to be home on the holiday. Andrea Flores, who lives around the corner, said she and other neighbors called the fire department when they saw smoke at about 3:30 p.m. There were no cars in the driveway.

District of Columbia

Washington: An annual event that features some of the district’s top chefs is back to help support a local foundation's commitment to empowering communities in rural India, WUSA-TV reported. The Vicente Ferrer Foundation USA is holding its annual Recipe for Empowerment Gala on Dec. 7. The foundation is celebrating 50 years of work in India. The event will feature Indian, American and Spanish cuisine from area chefs. Some of them include: K.N Vinod from Indique, Rahul Vinod from RASA, Carlos Gomez from La Taberna del Alabardero and Danny Lledó from Slate Wine Bar and Xiquet, among others, the foundation said. There will also be a silent and live auction. For decades, the organization has focused on supporting women, people with disabilities and marginalized farmers in health care, agriculture, education and rural infrastructure with a grassroots approach, the foundation said.

Florida

Jacksonville: Glenn Pitts lived a quiet life after World War II as a laundry manager, building contractor and landlord, but a friend’s tip led to the 94-year-old to receive the Legion of Honor for his part in liberating France. On Nov. 22, the French government named Pitts a knight of the Legion of Honor, its highest distinction, for his part in liberating France from Nazi occupation 75 years ago. “We know what we owe you and your brothers,” Laurent Gallissot, France’s consul general in Miami, told the 94-year-old Army veteran during a ceremony at Jacksonville City Hall. France decided in 2004 – the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landing – to award the medal to any U.S. veteran who had fought on French soil and requested the honor. Drafted when he was 18, Pitts, a native of Eastman, Ga., learned to operate a water-cooled .30-calibre machine gun that could fire hundreds of rounds per minute. He was a private in the Army’s 63rd Infantry Division when he was deployed to Marseilles in December 1944. He was still in Germany when the Nazi government surrendered in May 1945 and was reassigned to a Signal Corps unit where he finished out his service.

Georgia

Lawrenceville: One of Georgia’s largest counties has created a special jail unit just for military veterans. “The Barracks” is aimed at giving veterans behind bars a better chance of success when they’re released, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Gwinnett County’s program joins a broader trend of finding creative ways to help veterans caught up in the justice system. It is among more than 120 U.S. prisons and jails that have separate cell blocks dedicated to military veterans, according to the National Institute for Corrections. Most of them have been added in recent years. Gwinnett County’s program launched in November, and it’s still getting ramped up. There will soon be extra programs and services to help incarcerated veterans, the newspaper reported. The Barracks was the brainchild of Chief Deputy Lou Solis, a retired Army Ranger who joined the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office about two years ago.

Hawaii

Hilo: State officials have announced plans to expand the Big Island’s only jail by adding a $12.8 million medium-security building amid concerns about overcrowding. West Hawaii Today reported Friday that the Hawaii Community Correctional Center was designed to hold 226 inmates across two Hilo campuses, but recorded more than 400 inmates last month. Jail warden Peter Cabreros said the jail processes about 5,000 inmates a year. Officials said construction of the new unit is about a year away. Officials said an environmental assessment anticipates room for up to 144 inmates, but funds allow 48 beds in two-bed cells and an optional expansion for another 32 beds. Some neighbors opposed the expansion saying the jail is too close to nearby schools less than 500 feet from the facility.

Idaho

Boise: A Christmas tree-lighting ceremony in downtown Boise has been delayed because the tree fell over. The Idaho Statesman reported that the 45-year-old evergreen toppled sometime Thursday night. The ceremony, which brings a crowd to the Grove in downtown Boise every year, had been set for Friday night. The Downtown Boise Association said it will reschedule the event and that more information will be available next week. It’s not clear why the tree fell. Meanwhile, the annual Idaho Capitol Christmas tree lighting ceremony is scheduled for Monday between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. in front of the Capitol building.

Illinois

Savoy: More than $20 million in construction is planned at Willard Airport in central Illinois during the next two years. The News-Gazette reported that the work includes reconstruction of a runway, and added taxiway and a redone entrance road to the University of Illinois-owned airport in Savoy. Airport officials also expect a new U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility to be completed and opened early next year. Airport Executive Director Tim Bannon said that means private international flights can arrive direct, rather than stopping elsewhere to clear customs. Long-term, airport officials hope to secure federal funding to renovate the terminal that was built in 1988 and add an air control traffic tower. But Bannon said requests for that funding through the Federal Aviation Administration can take time.

Indiana

Gary: Blast furnace operations are expected to be restored at U.S. Steel’s Gary Works mill several days after flooding at the facility. The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported that the company hopes to bring its steel-making operations back online in the coming days. U.S. Steel spokeswoman Amanda Malkowski said a service water leak was reported Wednesday near blast furnace operations and, as a precaution, the company stopped the furnaces and steel production. United Steelworkers District 7 Director Mike Millsap said the leak was from a massive pipe that brings Lake Michigan water into the mill to cool furnaces and other steel-making equipment. Crews worked over the Thanksgiving holiday to remove the water.

Iowa

Amana: State officials are hoping to reduce water pollution by addressing problems in the small waterways that zigzag throughout the state, and they believe something as simple as name awareness can help. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reported that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Transportation have partnered since 2014 to install more than 900 creek name signs across the state. Stephen Hopkins of the DNR said the focus is on areas with past watershed improvement projects, ongoing work or assessments that might lead to future projects. One project is at Price Creek, a 13-mile stream that passes through Amana before flowing into the Iowa River. Price Creek Watershed project coordinator Rose Danaher has been leading efforts to reduce manure flow into the creek. Price Creek signs were installed on Highway 151. The creek, named after early settler Abraham Price, is on Iowa’s list of impaired waters because of high bacteria levels. The signage is a small part of the effort to make it cleaner. Efforts include fencing out cattle, helping farmers manage manure and replacing failing septic tanks. The $50,000 spent so far on the creek sign program comes from a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designed to clean up waterways impaired by nonpoint source pollution, which can come from sources including agriculture and industry. Part of the money is to be used for raising awareness, such as through signage.

Kansas

Topeka: The toll of massive flooding in Kansas is proving to be high for the agency that operates state parks. KCUR reported that the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism will lose millions of dollars as a result of park closures, property damage and washed out park roads. In much of the state, heavy rains began in early spring and flooding was widespread into the summer. High water levels at reservoirs, where many state parks are located, inundated campgrounds, boat docks and roads. Parks Director Linda Lanterman said the timing was especially bad because May through August are the “Million-Dollar Months,” when revenue is at its highest. This year, state park revenue fell short in those four months. Even now, parts of a few state parks in eastern Kansas remain flooded, preventing the department from fully assessing the damage. Most parks opened by mid-July. Repairing damage will be a daunting task. Floodwaters cracked boat docks, washed away gravel from roads, filled restrooms with silt and removed chunks of land underneath concrete campsites and picnic table pads. Flooding also is killing many trees, preventing the roots from getting needed oxygen.

Kentucky

Richmond: Fort Boonesborough State Park is offering a glimpse of Christmas past with an event this week. The “18th Century Christmas at the Fort” is set for Dec. 6 and 7. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for ages 6 to 12 and free for anyone under 6. Admission includes refreshments, entertainment, crafts and photos with Father Christmas. Guests at the Friday event will be able to see the fort lit with candle lanterns and bonfires. Cabins will be decorated and occupied by living history interpreters. Period music and refreshments will be available in the Blockhouse Tavern with displays of foods from the time period. Children will have a chance to make a toy. Hours are 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 6 and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 7.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: Anglers can now fish for red snapper seven days a week. State Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Jack Montoucet signed a declaration of emergency this week to expand the season from weekends-only. The Courier reported the bonus season took effect Thanksgiving Day and will continue through noon Dec. 31, or when the state’s remaining catch quota of 27,582 pounds is reached. The red snapper season ran seven days a week from May 24 through mid-August. It switched to weekends-only after the state’s data-collection program determined fishermen had neared the 816,439-pound limit federal officials had set for Louisiana. The daily catch limit for snapper is two per person with a minimum total length of 16 inches. For more information on the extended red snapper season, visit www.wlf.louisiana.gov/red-snapper.

Maine

Portland: Two studies by Maine-based scientists suggest the U.S. lobster industry is heading for a period of decline, but likely not a crash. Lobster fishermen have brought in record hauls this decade. The new studies were published by University of Maine scientists. They showed a fishery in which warming waters have changed the dynamics of the lobster population. Noah Oppenheim is the author of one of the studies. He said his model projects the lobster catch in the Gulf of Maine “will return to previous historical levels.” That means tens of millions fewer pounds of lobster per year. Oppenheim and colleagues based their opinion on a finding that temperature and the number of young lobsters populating shallow coastal areas allow scientists to predict what lobster catches will look like in four to six years.

Maryland

Allegany County: A State Police helicopter hoisted an injured hiker to safety. Police said the helicopter was used Friday to rescue a hiker with a leg injury from a ravine in Allegany County. Police said the helicopter maneuvered into position about 200 feet above a steep ravine. A rescue technician was lowered down to help the hiker and the pair were lifted back up into the helicopter. The hiker was then transported to a local hospital.

Massachusetts

Boston: The Boston Pops Brass Ensemble will entertain travelers for free at Logan International Airport this week. The ensemble is scheduled to perform holiday hits at Logan’s Terminal B on Monday. The Pops will have a special giveaway and hot chocolate, coffee, tea, cold drinks and holiday treats including candy canes will be handed out to passengers. The festivities start at 11 a.m. The full Pops has just started its annual Holiday Pops on Tour schedule, which takes it to venues across the Northeast, as well as its home at Symphony Hall in Boston.

Michigan

Hannahville: An Upper Peninsula nonprofit organization is supporting a program that educates young people in the Hannahville Indian Community about the dangers of e-cigarettes. The Marquette-based Superior Health Foundation awarded an $11,518 grant to the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan for the Anishinaabe E-cigarette and JUUL Health Education Project. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for children and young adults. Health educator Kelly Hansen of the Hannahville Indian Community said JUUL products also pose risks. JUUL is a battery-powered e-cigarette that generates a nicotine-laced aerosol. Hansen said the tribal project will use a curriculum called “Catch my Breath” to provide teachers, parents and health professionals with information about e-cigarettes and help children make wise choices.

Minnesota

Bloomington: Recently released data from Syracuse University showed that pending immigration cases have increased 70% since last year in Minnesota’s Bloomington federal immigration court. The court handles cases from North Dakota and South Dakota in addition to Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio reported that six immigration judges handle the cases for the three states. Minnesota has 13,703 pending cases, according to the data. It concludes that the backlog of cases is at a record high. More than a million cases are pending nationally. New York, California, and Texas have some of the highest numbers. North Dakota and South Dakota don’t have any pending cases. An immigration attorney attributes the rise in cases to stricter enforcement and not having enough judges to handle the caseload.

Mississippi

Hattiesburg: During a university course about the civil rights movement, Mississippi streets became classrooms where civil rights activists and local historians were teachers. University of Southern Mississippi Associate Professor Rebecca Tuuri said Mississippi was ground-zero for the movement. The university’s main campus is in Hattiesburg, where as many as one-third of the black residents participated in civil rights activism during the 1960s. Tuuri said in an interview that the real teachers were the people who lived through that time or preserved their memory and were willing to let students ask them questions. Graduate student Dani Kawa of Richmond, Virginia, said in a school news release that she was amazed by the resilience of civil rights activists, especially in Mississippi.

Missouri

St. Louis: The longtime leader of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has died. Relatives of James Buford said he died Friday at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis after a brief, undisclosed illness. He was 75. Buford was known for his work to try and bridge racial gaps between blacks and whites in St. Louis. He served as president of the St. Louis Urban League for nearly 30 years before retiring in 2013. Mayor Lyda Krewson called Buford a “strong leader of change” in the community. Buford was born in St. Louis in 1944. His father was one of the city’s first black police officers. Details about a memorial service have not yet been released.

Montana

Missoula: The University of Montana has announced a new course entitled “The Art and Science of Happiness,” joining other universities in adding the emotion to the curriculum. The Missoulian reported Wednesday that psychologists John and Rita Sommers-Flanagan are expected this spring to teach about the traits and habits that enable people to flourish. University professors said the course aims to make the research applicable to students’ lives by using contemporary approaches from mindfulness to emotion-monitoring phone applications. Professors said the students will be graded on knowledge-based assessments not on their state of being in the course. Officials said 28 students have registered as of Monday. Officials said a Harvard University course on the topic drew 900 students in 2006 and a similar course at Yale drew 1,200 students in 2018.

Nebraska

Lincoln: Eight months after massive floods washed out chunks of one of the nation’s longest stretches of trail, crews are still trying to repair the scenic pathway used by hikers, bikers and horse riders. The 195-mile-long Cowboy Trail through northern Nebraska was severely damaged during the March floods, and repair costs are estimated to top $7.7 million, according to a recent state budget request submitted to Gov. Pete Ricketts. At least 10 points along the trail were hit, including one 100-foot-long section blown out by the water. Most of the money will come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but state officials might have to cover $1.9 million of the expense. State officials might be able to cover some of the cost with other federal trail grants, but it’s not clear how much money Nebraska might receive. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has requested $187,000 from lawmakers in a budget request unveiled last month. Ricketts and lawmakers will decide whether to authorize the funding in the next legislative session that begins Jan. 8. State officials created the trail from an old, abandoned railroad line, a practice many local governments and nonprofits have adopted to brighten their communities. The trails are a big draw for bicyclists, runners, dog-walkers and others, and some small towns have used them to attract visitors. The Cowboy Trail stretches from Norfolk in the state’s northeast corner to Valentine, in the middle of remote, north-central Nebraska. State officials eventually hope to extend it to Chadron in northwest Nebraska, making it the nation’s longest rail-trail. Once completed, the full trail will run 321 miles through a scenic region of grass-covered sand dunes known as the Nebraska Sandhills.

Nevada

Las Vegas: Southern Nevada water officials said six trees and a dozen other plants commonly found in Las Vegas-area landscaping could see extreme heat stress in the warming climate. The Las Vegas Sun reported the water authority wants to warn people about some desert flora planted now with the hope of relying on its cooling properties in the decades to come. The Southern Nevada Water Authority has identified nonnative species like the purple leaf plum tree, the ash tree and elm trees, all of which were not well-suited for desert life. The authority’s conservation manager, Doug Bennett, said the plants are not certain to die but will be under increasing stress. Other trees like the palo verde and desert willow have a high heat tolerance and are expected to fare well.

New Hampshire

Concord: Holiday shoppers paying with $100 bills in downtown Concord should be prepared for some extra scrutiny after a spate of transactions involving counterfeit money. The Concord Monitor reported that at least two store owners have stopped accepting $100 bills, and others will be taking a closer look or only accepting newer versions that have more security features. Authorities said at least three local businesses took in false $100 bills earlier this month and didn’t find out until they tried to deposit them at the bank. Cashiers at The Works Cafe and Gibson’s Bookstore have stopped accepting the bills.

New Jersey

Wall Township: Officials said a clown sign that has smiled on motorists at a now-demolished drive-in for two-thirds of a century will be preserved. NJ.com reported that developers of a strip mall at the Wall Township site said they will donate the Circus Drive-In sign for preservation and display elsewhere. The Route 35 drive-in, a vestige of car culture with a white-and-red striped roof resembling an old-fashioned circus tent, closed in 2017. Developer Circus Partners LLC bought the site and demolished the building last year, and last week won planning board approval for the strip mall. But attorney Tim Middleton said the red, yellow, green and white sign featuring a smiling clown’s face will be offered to the township in hopes that it will be placed on public view.

New Mexico

Albuquerque: The city’s airport is getting international attention for its display of art. The Sunport’s Lowriders and Hot Rods Car Culture exhibit has landed a spot on the latest list of top airport exhibits in the world by the quarterly publication ArtDesk. The exhibit features an array of photos and a 1964 Chevrolet Impala. The airport also has a permanent collection of more than 100 pieces that include Native American, Hispanic and Southwestern works overseen by Max Baptiste, who has taken on the airport’s newly added role of art curator. Baptiste told Albuquerque television station KRQE he’s not surprised about the recent recognition since New Mexico is what he describes as “an amazing arts community.” He said the goal is to create a sense of pride and that airports are a great spot for doing that.

New York

Saranac Lake: An Adirondack Mountain village that was put on the map as a cure center for tuberculosis is honoring its novel legacy. Saranac Lake was once a mini-metropolis of medical care, but the boom ended with the rise of antibiotics. Now, a local history group has purchased the old home and medical office of TB treatment pioneer Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau for museum space. And developers bought Trudeau’s old sanitorium with plans to refurbish and reuse it.

North Carolina

McAdenville: A longtime yarn manufacturer is getting out of the textile business. Pharr announced last week it’s selling three of its five divisions early next year. News outlets reported Pharr Fibers & Yarns and Phenix Flooring will go to Mannington Mills, based in Salem, New Jersey. Pharr High Performance will be purchased by London-based Coats Group. Terms weren’t disclosed. The changes will leave McAdenville-based Pharr with its Belmont Land & Development real-estate arm and Strand Hospitality Services, which manages hotel properties. Privately owned Pharr has manufactured textile-mill yarn since 1939 and employs 1,200 workers. CEO Bill Carstarphen said Mannington Mills and Coats Group will retain Pharr’s workforce and operations in McAdenville and Dalton, Georgia. He said Pharr also will continue its annual “Christmas Town USA” light display in McAdenville.

North Dakota

Fargo: A bill meant to help law enforcement investigate cold cases of murdered and missing indigenous women that has floundered in Congress for two years might have the missing ingredients to become law – money and muscle. The money comes from an appropriations subcommittee chaired by Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who told the Associated Press that for the first time funding is being directed specifically to murdered and missing indigenous people. The muscle comes from the White House and specifically the Department of Justice, which last week unveiled a plan that would investigate issues raised in the bill like data collection practices and federal databases. It adds up to a strong outlook for Savanna’s Act, which was originally introduced in 2017 by Murkowski, Democratic Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Mastro and former North Dakota Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp. Murkowski and Heitkamp, longtime allies on issues affecting indigenous people, also created the Commission on Native Children, which recently held its first meeting. The bill is named for Savanna Greywind, a Native American North Dakota woman who was killed in 2017 when her baby was cut from her womb. The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, chaired by North Dakota Republican John Hoeven, earlier this month advanced another version of the bill to the full Senate for consideration.

Ohio

Powell: The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium said a polar bear cub was born early Thursday morning to 13-year-old Aurora. The zoo said polar bear newborns have a low survival rate in their early weeks. Employees are monitoring the cub’s care using cameras in a private den area. Officials said the cub has been nursing, and Aurora is attentive. The bears are expected to remain out of public view until the spring. Aurora has three surviving offspring from previous litters. Those bears now live at zoos in Utah, Maryland and Wisconsin. The newest cub was sired by a 20-year-old bear named Lee. He was moved to Columbus from the Denver Zoo a year ago under a species survival plan recommendation.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: The nation has a high demand for skilled workers, and industry experts and employers in Oklahoma said a worker shortage has made it difficult to find qualified employees, the Oklahoman reported. Over the next 10 years, it’s expected Oklahoma’s economy will have nearly 7,000 annual openings in construction and extraction occupations, according to an Oklahoma Works study. Construction occupations include electricians, plumbers and some maintenance workers. In general, many of those jobs require some sort of training or education beyond high school, but only about 42% of the current workforce qualifies, the study said. Efforts are underway, though, to increase education and promote the good wages and steady employment opportunities found in these blue-collar careers.

Oregon

Port Orford: A small earthquake hit Port Orford on the southern Oregon coast, shaking the small community. The U.S. Geological Survey said the 4.5-magnitude earthquake struck at about 5:45 p.m. Friday, with its epicenter about two miles inland. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported that it differs from earthquakes in October that struck far off the coast. No damage was reported from the most recent earthquake.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: Municipalities that are paying to clean up water contaminated with toxic industrial compounds from military installations such as Willow Grove Naval Air Station will get more state help. Legislation signed Wednesday by Gov. Tom Wolf allows municipal authorities to get permission to redirect a portion of state tax revenue generated from the reuse of former military installations contaminated with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The money could be used to eliminate surcharges that local ratepayers have been paying. The legislation also directs a state water infrastructure agency, the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, to create a program to help clean up the chemicals. The state thus far has marshaled more than $20 million in aid to fight contamination in towns near Willow Grove and the former Naval Air Warfare Center.

Rhode Island

Providence: Student musicians from across the state will again be featured in a series of concerts at the Statehouse to celebrate the holiday season. The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts announced that the concerts begin Monday and will run through Dec. 20. The concerts are free and open to the public. The arts council organizes the series. Executive Director Randall Rosenbaum said more than 2,600 student musicians from 59 schools throughout the state are expected to perform, and the council is pleased to continue the holiday tradition. The series opens with morning performances by high school singers from Cumberland, school bands from North Providence and elementary school guitarists from Providence. The concerts are held on weekdays.

South Carolina

Greenwood: A second school district in South Carolina wants to change to a year-round calendar. The Greenwood County District 50 School Board approved the calendar change last month to start at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year. The Greenwood Index-Journal reported the calendar greatly shortens the summer break but also includes at least a two-week break every nine weeks. State Education Department spokesman Ryan Brown said McCormick County schools are the only other district in South Carolina operating year-round, but several individual schools have similar calendars. Brown said the agency has heard from several other districts considering the change as they seek community input. Greenwood County District 50 will need approval from the state to make the calendar change.

South Dakota

Rapid City: Police are raising money along with a radio station to buy Christmas gifts for homeless and at-risk children. The Cops ‘N Kids program aims to raise $11,500 to give $100 each to 115 children, and they’re halfway to their goal. Donations currently stand at $5,656. Power 107.1 KSLT is helping. The Rapid City Journal reported the program is run by Black Hills Badges for Hope. The group was formed by two police officers who lost two fellow officers in a 2011 shooting in Rapid City. Last year the Cops ‘N Kids program helped 34 children and the goal this year is to triple the number.

Tennessee

Nashville: The state is projected to have between $345 million and $408 million in new general fund revenue when lawmakers begin setting the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. According to The Times Free Press, the State Funding Board announced last week that the state budget is expected to grow between 2.7% and 3.1% for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, which takes effect July 1. The budget estimate is the lowest the board has set in five years. It’s also below what economic experts had previously suggested. The general fund covers most Tennessee expenditures, including K-12 education funding, state prisons and state trooper pay. This year’s general fund is $34.6 billion and has already seen a $225 million surplus.

Texas

Houston: Five of the seven people who died in a small plane crash in Kingston, Ontario, were members of a Houston-area family, according to friends of the family. A spokeswoman for the Ontario chief coroner’s office said the victims’ names likely won’t be released for several days. Mehmet Basti, a Toronto college instructor, told local news outlets that five of those killed were his friend Otabek Oblokulov of Missouri City, Texas, his wife and his three children, ages 3, 11 and 15. Basti also said the other two on board were a young couple from Toronto. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said the U.S.-registered, single-engine, six-seat Piper PA-32 airplane crashed about 5 p.m. Wednesday in a wooded area of Kingston, about 90 miles southwest of Ottawa on the Ontario-New York border. The plane had taken off from an airport in Markham, Ontario, a Toronto suburb and was on approach to Kingston’s airport when officials said it took a steep dive into the wooded area. Kingston Police Constable Ash Gutheinz said the area was under a wind advisory at the time, and although winds might not have been as bad as predicted, it was “blustery.” The aircraft did not have a flight data recorder, nor was it required to have one, said lead TSB investigator Ken Webster.

Utah

Lehi: A tractor-trailer rig carrying butane was leaking the flammable gas from a tank after overturning on a freeway Saturday, causing evacuations in the area. The Utah Highway Patrol said the double-trailer rig overturned on northbound Interstate 15 in Lehi and that the freeway was closed in both directions as a precaution pending cleanup. Lehi is 26 miles south of Salt Lake City. Assistant City Administrator Cameron Boyle said the area in a quarter-mile around the crash site was evacuated, with residents of an apartment complex relocated to a church building. Information on the cause of the crash wasn’t immediately available. No injuries were reported.

Vermont

Colchester: Workers at a hospital have again reported a mysterious odor, a month after more than a dozen got sick on the job. WCAX-TV reported that seven employees at UVM Medical Center’s Fanny Allen hospital in Colchester were evaluated this week for symptoms similar to those experienced by17 workers in mid-October. Officials said they have taken precautions, and that air quality in the building has tested safe. Surgeries planned for next week have been rescheduled.

Virginia

Charlottesville: A Confederate statue in Charlottesville that became a rallying point for white nationalists has been vandalized again, this time with graffiti that read, “Impeach Trump.” News outlets reported that the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee was also spray-painted Thursday night with “This is Racist.” Tarps were put over the graffiti and city officials expect a clean-up effort to start Monday. The statue was vandalized earlier this year with an expletive directed at President Donald Trump. White nationalists seized on a city plan to remove the statue and flocked there in 2017 for a rally that turned violent and deadly. The city’s effort to remove the statue has been prevented by a judge amid ongoing litigation. The statue has been vandalized several times previously

Washington

Olympia: Two small areas of northwest Washington likely will be sprayed with an insecticide to stop an outbreak of gypsy moths, including a type native to Asia never before detected in the U.S. The Capital Press reported the Washington State Department of Agriculture said it tentatively plans to release Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki over a small city on Puget Sound called Woodway, and an Everett neighborhood called Boulevard Bluffs. Officials said a Hokkaido gypsy moth trapped in Woodway this summer was the first Hokkaido moth caught in the U.S. Three hybrid Asian gypsy moths were caught in Boulevard Bluffs. Gypsy moths native to Asia are more mobile than European varieties and are considered more of a danger to spread. Before completing plans to spray next spring, the department will conduct environmental reviews and consult agencies including the USDA. Washington has sprayed for gypsy moths for most years since 1979.

West Virginia

Beckley: Raleigh County’s only animal shelter has launched a fundraising effort to save it from closing at the end of the year. The Register-Herald on Thursday reported the leaders of the nonprofit Humane Society of Raleigh County said they need $80,000 to keep from shutting down. The organization said it’s struggling to pay utilities and outstanding taxes after an increase in animal medical emergencies left it with a $150,000 veterinarian bill. The shelter said it has raised $14,000 so far. They’re hoping for large fundraising hauls at their Santa Paws event at the Plaza Mall on Dec. 7 and during the Beckley Art Center’s Giving Tuesday Open House on Dec. 3. The Humane Society of Raleigh County has been open since 1979. It has taken in about 1,300 abandoned, neglected or stray animals this year. County Commissioner Ron Hedrick told the newspaper he wants to help the shelter find funding. Hedrick has invited the humane society’s board members to a meeting next month to talk about shelter finances and possible fundraising solutions, humane society officials said.

Wisconsin

Hartford: A woman who began sending care packages to her two sons deployed in the Middle East is now doing the same for hundreds of troops overseas in time for Christmas. Hartford resident Leann Boudwine said the soldiers she sends packages to “are like my kids,” even though she has never met them. After first sending packages to her sons, she sent a few more for the soldiers with whom they served. WITI-TV reported that the list grew into the hundreds when Boudwine collected names of soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines all over the world. The care packages include snacks, soap, and boxed mac-and-cheese. The care packages travel thousands of miles to reach their destination, and Boudwine packs, labels and ships each one. Family, friends, businesses and veterans’ groups have begun to help her. She said her nonprofit “Support the Troops” will have shipped 14,000 packages by early next year.

Wyoming

Cheyenne: A wild horse facility is looking to make its home in eastern Laramie County, but residents near the proposed site have some major concerns. The facility would hold wild horses captured by the Bureau of Land Management, and the BLM would pay South Dakota-based Equine Elite an amount for each horse it houses. But the project hit a snag when it came to gaining approval from neighbors within a 3-mile radius. Because of concerns ranging from water quality to increased traffic, the neighbors didn’t give their approval for the project. In Laramie County, any Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation needs the consent of property owners within 3 miles of the proposed site. At the request of Equine Elite, the Laramie County Commission is considering lowering the distance to 1 mile. Although the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality only requires approval from property owners within one mile, the county commissioners changed its rules to 3 miles years ago when a swine CAFO attempted to situate in Laramie County.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 50 states