Virtual cow fences, 24-hour NYC partying, Carters’ anniversary: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Montgomery: Teachers and public school employees are retiring at the highest levels seen in nearly a decade, state records show. More than 3,500 Alabama employees in the field retired in the most recent period tracked, Al.com reports. That’s the most since the 2010-11 school year, when just under 4,100 employees retired after changes to the state’s retirement benefits. The numbers are from Alabama’s Teacher Retirement System. The large number of employees retiring is likely due to pandemic stresses, Roanoke City Schools Superintendent Chuck Marcum said.

Alaska

Meadow Lakes: Numerous residents of this Anchorage suburb want officials to deny a permit for a proposed gravel pit, arguing the mine doesn’t belong in a residential area and raising concerns about road safety and decimated property values. Quality Asphalt Paving and parent company Colaska Inc., part of the international Colas Group, have proposed the gravel pit for 160 forested acres in Meadow Lakes, about 50 miles north of Anchorage. Notices went out to more than 270 landowners within a half-mile of the site in mid-May, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The site is bounded by residential properties on three sides and a mix of commercial and residential on the fourth. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing on Colaska’s application for a conditional use permit July 19. There are already more than 100 active permitted pits across the borough. Matanuska-Susitna generally has few, if any, zoning laws that prohibit industrial operations like gravel pits in neighborhoods. At most, there could be 500 trucks making 1,000 daily trips to and from the pit, though the application indicates that’s not an average or constant number. Some residents say Sylvan Road, already crumbling in places, can’t handle up to 1,000 truck trips a day.

Arizona

Mesa: Residents are being asked to conserve energy this summer, city officials said. The city of Mesa does not own or operate any electric generators and purchases its electric supply through various short- and long-term agreements. This year, supply costs have increased dramatically because of the region’s population growth and the transition to newer and cleaner energy production, city officials said. Residents are being asked to set thermostats at 78 degrees Fahrenheit during the peak hours of 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. or when not at home. Authorities said setting the air conditioner 5 degrees higher could save up to 20% on cooling costs. Mesa also is working to reduce peak electrical usage at city facilities while also developing programs for customers to save energy and money while reducing demand during peak hours.

Arkansas

Little Rock: The state on Monday reported 1,246 new coronavirus cases and 23 more hospitalizations from the past three days as Gov. Asa Hutchinson warned that Arkansas could face a “tough week” in the virus’s growth. The Department of Health said the biggest jump over the weekend came Saturday, when the state added 764 new cases. The department recently stopped reporting daily COVID-19 numbers on weekends, releasing the figures on Mondays instead. The department said there were 361 people hospitalized because of COVID-19. The department reported COVID-19 deaths rose by seven to 5,920 since the pandemic began. Hutchinson noted that the state has now surpassed 1 million people fully vaccinated. “This is a milestone, but we need to pick up the pace before school starts this fall,” the Republican governor tweeted. “This could be a tough week in new cases and hospitalizations, so get the shot now.” Arkansas has had one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country. Forty-two percent of the state’s population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 34.5% of residents have completed their vaccinations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

California

Borrego Springs: An annual count of bighorn sheep scheduled for this past weekend in a Southern California desert was canceled after a volunteer died while preparing for the excursion amid scorching heat, according to a newspaper report Sunday. The tally in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park dates back 50 years and is one of the longest-running citizen-science projects in the country, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. It typically draws dozens of volunteers who spend three days collecting information for scientists monitoring the health of bighorn sheep, which have been on the federal endangered species list since the late 1990s. Don White, a 68-year-old nature enthusiast from Culver City, had participated in the past and this year was assigned a spot in Borrego Palm Canyon that requires a 4-mile hike in over and around boulders. An experienced backpacker, White had counted there before. Two weeks ago, he and a colleague decided to hike in with bottled water and leave it there for the count. Coming back from the canyon just after noon June 19, not far from the trailhead, White collapsed and died, the Union-Tribune reports. His colleague was hospitalized briefly, as was a firefighter who came to assist them. It was 116 degrees Fahrenheit in Anza-Borrego that day. After last year’s count was curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 tally had drawn so much interest that there was a waiting list, according to the newspaper.

Colorado

Denver: More than 70% of adults in the state have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, meeting the July Fourth goal set by President Joe Biden. However, most of the state’s 64 counties have not come close to that mark. As of Sunday, only 12 Colorado counties had vaccinated at least 70% of people eligible to be inoculated, KUSA-TV reports. Forty-five percent of counties had vaccinated less than half of the eligible population with at least one dose. While the more contagious delta variant of the coronavirus has become the dominant strain in Colorado, the number of people testing positive for the virus is down. Hospitalizations are also decreasing but are higher than during lulls last year.

Connecticut

Hartford: The state has unveiled a new website to provide up-to-date information on the rollout of legalized cannabis, ranging from basic information about the law that took effect July 1 to resources for prospective marijuana-related businesses. While portions of the new law have taken effect, including making it legal for individuals age 21 and older to possess or consume up to 1.5 ounces of “cannabis plant material,” several key parts of the legislation don’t begin for another year or two. The establishment of retail stores, for example, isn’t expected until the end of 2022. “This new website will be an important resource for consumers and interested business owners,” Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull said in a statement. “We will continue to provide information about the licensing and application process as it becomes available, and we are committed to a clear and transparent process.” People can find the website at ct.gov/cannabis. State officials are encouraging residents to check the site regularly for updates on various provisions of the new, wide-ranging law, including the Social Equity Council, which will oversee the verification of “equity applicants” for marijuana-related licenses.

Delaware

Rehoboth Beach: A boardwalk beef has been brewing over a no-ketchup policy at a popular french fry stand. Regular visitors to the town’s three popular Thrasher’s French Fries establishments know better than to ask for ketchup. Piping hot fries, cooked in peanut oil, are famously served with only salt and apple cider vinegar – no ketchup, not ever. That’s how it’s been since the concession stand was founded on the Ocean City, Maryland, boardwalk in 1929, and there are no plans to deviate from this Eastern Shore tradition. But not all tourists know or even care about Thrasher’s history. They just want ketchup. And that has sparked something of a condiment clash with some neighboring businesses, particularly Gus & Gus Place. The iconic eatery offering burgers, fried chicken and corn dogs on Rehoboth’s mile-long boardwalk since 1956 won’t give away or even sell the condiment to non-customers. Still, that hasn’t stopped nearby Thrasher’s patrons from demanding ketchup, trying to sneak squirts from Gus & Gus’s ketchup bottles or attempting to walk off with packets. It’s become such a problem that the cash-only, family-owned business put up a sign near the counter: “Ketchup is for Gus & Gus food only. No exceptions!” It hasn’t worked. “People pretty much cuss at us a lot,” said Bill Svolis, 47, who has grown up in the business founded in 1956 by his father, Gus. “It happens almost every day.” Police have even been called to help deal with belligerent customers.

District of Columbia

Washington: The newest member of the U.S. Capitol Police force is Lila, a 2-year-old black Labrador retriever recruited to help troubled and stressed officers, WUSA-TV reports. The pup couldn’t quite make the cut as a guide dog for the visually impaired. “Poor Lila is a little bit of a sensitive soul, so asking her to do that guide work – even though she could – you can definitely see that it was a difficult task for her,” said Guide Dogs of the Desert training director Michal Anna Padilla. U.S. Capitol Police has lost three officers in 2021 in what the force officially considers “line of duty” deaths: Brian Sicknick, who suffered a stroke the day after confronting rioters at the Capitol in January; Howard Liebengood, who died from suicide days after confronting the insurrectionists; and William Evans, whom a driver pinner with a vehicle while ramming a barricade April 4, according to Capitol Police. Lila arrived from Palm Springs, California, on the Fourth of July, getting pet by passengers who heard the announcement of her new assignment. On her first full day in town Monday, Lila played the role of tourist as she walked around the Capitol grounds. Her “office” will be at the Capitol Police headquarters a block away.

Florida

Panama City Beach: There’s really no way to know if condos across the city are slowly sinking into the sand, experts say. About a week after Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, partially collapsed, leaving dozens and more than 100 others missing, local officials said condos in Bay County are not required to inspect height or track changes over time. While it remains unknown exactly what caused the Miami-area condo to crumble, some believe the collapse is linked to the fact that the building was sinking about 2 millimeters per year. “There’s always a worry,” Mark McWaters, building inspector for Panama City Beach, said of the possibility for a local collapse. “Things are man-made, they’re not perfect, and so there could be a flaw in something that’s not seen. If something is seen, we will address it.” According to information provided by the Bay County Property Appraiser’s office, there are almost 390 active condominiums in Bay County. About 135 are high-rises, which boast five or more stories, that were built between 1965 and 2020. Almost 20 are as old as or older than Champlain Towers South, which was constructed in 1981. David Jordan, division chief of fire inspection for Panama City Beach Fire Rescue, said he believes the collapse in Miami sparked a need for steeper regulations.

Georgia

Plains: The longest-married presidential couple in American history are celebrating 75 years since they tied the knot. As a young midshipman, Jimmy Carter needed a date one evening while he was home from the U.S. Naval Academy, so his younger sister paired him with a family friend who already had a crush. Nearly eight decades later, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter are still together in the same tiny town where they were born, grew up and had that first outing. In between, they’ve traveled the world as Naval officer and military spouse, as American president and first lady, and finally as human rights and public health ambassadors. “It’s a full partnership,” the 39th president told the Associated Press during a joint interview ahead of the couple’s 75th wedding anniversary Wednesday. Carter, 96, has said often since leaving the Oval Office in 1981 that the most important decision he ever made wasn’t as head of state, commander in chief, or even executive officer of a nuclear submarine in the early years of the Cold War. Rather, it was falling for Eleanor Rosalynn Smith in 1945 and marrying her the following summer. “My biggest secret is to marry the right person if you want to have a long-lasting marriage,” he said. The nonagenarians – she’s now 93 – offered a few other tips for an enduring bond, including communication, reconciliation and finding common interests. They read the Bible together aloud each night, something they’ve done for years, even when separated by their travels. And “each (person) should have some space,” the former first lady said. “That’s really important.”

Hawaii

Honolulu: For nearly a year, Maui residents had their tropical oasis virtually to themselves. Then the visitors all came flooding back. “Over-tourism” has long been a complaint of locals on the island that is among the world’s most popular getaways: congested roads, crowded beaches, packed restaurants. But as the U.S. begins to emerge from the pandemic, Maui is reeling from some of the same strains seen on the mainland, like a shortage of hospitality workers. And its restaurants, still operating at limited capacity, are struggling to keep up. Now, as cooped-up mainlanders return in droves, Maui officials are making an unusual plea to airlines: Please don’t bring so many people to our island. “We don’t have the authority to say stop, but we are asking the powers to be to help us,” Mayor Michael Victorino said at a recent news conference. Hawaii has had some of the nation’s most stringent coronavirus public health restrictions, and it’s the only state that hasn’t fully reopened, in part due to its remote location and limited hospitals. Also high on people’s minds is the memory of diseases that wiped out 80% of the Native Hawaiian population in the century after Europeans arrived. The governor doesn’t plan on lifting all restrictions until 70% of the state’s population is vaccinated. As of Friday, just 58% of residents were.

Idaho

Boise: U.S. officials and a sheep industry group have filed notices to appeal a federal court ruling involving an eastern Idaho sheep research facility long targeted by environmental groups concerned about the potential harm to grizzly bears and other wildlife. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and American Sheep Industry Association filed the notices late last month to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. A judge’s ruling in April prevents grazing in significant areas used by the Agriculture Department’s U.S. Sheep Experiment Station. Grazing was suspended in 2013 following previous lawsuits by environmental groups contending the areas contain key wildlife habitat that is a corridor for grizzly bears between Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park. Conservation groups contend grizzly bears have been killed because of sheep station activities. The groups also say bighorn sheep, which can acquire deadly diseases from domestic sheep, and greater sage grouse use the area. Grazing resumed following the release of a 2017 environmental impact statement considering the effects of sheep grazing on wildlife. The sheep station, operated by the Agriculture Department’s Agricultural Research Service, supports research using domestic sheep owned by the University of Idaho, some involving grazing at higher altitudes.

Illinois

Springfield: The Illinois Department of Transportation is accepting applications for projects to improve public transit systems outside Chicago. IDOT said last week that the Rebuild Illinois capital construction program will pay for this round of projects totaling $110 million. Projects must expand and upgrade service, increase options and improve quality of life. Applications for the transit capital grant program are due Aug. 31. A total of $355 million is targeted for competitive construction grants for transit programs outside Chicago. Thus far, the program has renovated bus stations and passenger information kiosks for the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District and built a new transportation center in downtown Bloomington. Jacksonville received a facility to serve as headquarters, for training and dispatch. IDOT maintains “Public Transportation Providers” information online. Eligible recipients will be invited to a July 14 webinar to address specific questions and review the application process.

Indiana

Indianapolis: A judge has sided with the governor in a dispute between top state Republicans over whether he can proceed with a lawsuit challenging the increased power state legislators gave themselves to intervene during public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The Marion County judge’s ruling rejects arguments from Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita that he alone has the legal authority to represent the state in court and can decide whether the new law is allowed under the Indiana Constitution, despite GOP Gov. Eric Holcomb’s objections. Judge Patrick Dietrick wrote in the ruling dated Saturday that such an interpretation would give the attorney general greater power than Holcomb as head of the state’s executive branch in protecting the governor’s constitutional powers. “This is an absurd result that could not have been intended by either the drafters of Indiana’s Constitution or the General Assembly,” Dietrick said. Holcomb’s lawsuit argues that the law passed this spring by the Republican-dominated Legislature is unconstitutional because it gives lawmakers a new power to call themselves into a special legislative “emergency session” during statewide emergencies declared by the governor.

Iowa

Altoona: The father of an 11-year-old boy who died following an accident on a popular boat ride at an amusement park said his son and other family members were trapped by the ride’s seat belts when the boat carrying them flipped. In an interview broadcast Tuesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” David Jaramillo recounted what happened when the boat capsized Saturday night on the Raging River at Adventureland Park in Altoona. “When it flipped over, all of us were trapped in the safety seat belts,” he said. “I see the silhouettes of my sons trying to grab each other, grab us. They want us to help them. We couldn’t do it.” Michael Jaramillo died Sunday from his injuries, and the morning news program reported his older brother was hospitalized in critical condition in a medically induced coma. Two other riders who were also family members suffered injuries. “I feel like Adventureland robbed me of my baby,” said Sabrina Jaramillo, Michael’s mother. “I will never get a chance to see him grow up.” The ride uses a conveyor belt to move large circular rafts through rapids. After the boat carrying six people overturned, emergency responders and witnesses helped to free the riders. The cause of the accident – the second deadly incident on the ride in five years – is under investigation.

Kansas

Topeka: About 600 workers are on strike at the Frito-Lay plant in the city after union workers rejected a proposed contract that had been recommended by union leadership. Workers said the main points of contention are small pay increases and employees being forced to work hours of overtime. The workers are represented by Local 218 of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers union, which recommended a proposed two-year contract after months of negotiations. Workers voted Friday and Saturday to reject the contract, and the strike began at 12:01 a.m. Monday. Frito-Lay is one of seven divisions of Harrison, New York-based PepsiCo. The company said in a statement that because the union leadership recommended the contract, it does not anticipate any further negotiations “for the foreseeable future.” PepsiCo said the plant would continue to operate, and it had a plan to ensure employee safety.

Kentucky

Louisville: As Fourth of July fireworks sent pets around the city into hiding, several volunteers spent the evening comforting animals at the Kentucky Humane Society. Fireworks have been a Fourth of July tradition since the United States first celebrated the anniversary of its Independence Day in 1777, and every year millions of cats and dogs panic in confusion from the loud bangs. While there are several recommended steps to help four-legged friends get through the traumatic night, not all animals have a family to keep them safe. To help some of those animals, multiple volunteers spent time with dogs and cats at the Kentucky Humane Society on Sunday to make sure they were comfortable and relaxed. “Volunteers distributed special treats and read children’s books to the animals to distract them,” the nonprofit wrote on its Facebook page. “Many pets fell fast asleep on their beds – some were even snoring!” Pets’ dislike of fireworks is a result of their advanced hearing capabilities. Nadine Znajda, a veterinary dermatologist from BluePearl Pet Hospital, said part of pets’ sensitivity to sound stems from their wide range of hearing. For dogs, who can perceive both audible and vibrational sounds, hearing is full-body sensory experience, Znajda said.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: Ballots have gone out for state lawmakers to decide whether to hold a historic veto override session, with heavy pressure pouring in from outside groups trying to sway that decision and a heated debate taking shape on social media. Gov. John Bel Edwards rejected 28 bills from the regular session and struck out a handful of legislative pet projects from budget bills. The Louisiana Constitution calls for a veto session to be automatically scheduled when a governor jettisons legislation. However, a majority vote of either the House or Senate can scrap the gathering – a decision that often is an afterthought for lawmakers who have canceled every veto session since the modern constitution was enacted in 1974. But this time appears different, with two bills in particular drawing interest for a mid-July veto session from the majority-Republican House and Senate: a measure banning transgender athletes from competing on school sports teams of their identified gender and legislation allowing people 21 and older to carry a concealed handgun without needing a permit. Republican House Speaker Clay Schexnayder said he supports the veto session, as does House GOP leader Blake Miguez. “I don’t see how we could avoid one,” said Houma Rep. Tanner Magee, the House’s second-ranking Republican.

Maine

Portland: State officials have launched a new tool to help people who believe they spotted a white shark find out if it was indeed the big fish. The Maine Department of Marine Resources has added the online tool to its website with a form that allows shark spotters to upload photos and videos and submit a description of what they saw. People often mistake ocean sunfish, basking sharks and other harmless animals for white sharks, said Erin Summers, the director of the marine department’s biological monitoring division. She said the online tool will “help people gain a better understanding of the species found in the Gulf of Maine.” Scientists with the marine department will review the information when they receive it and might request more information. White sharks, also called great whites, aren’t common in Maine, but they can occur in the state’s waters. A white shark bite killed Julie Dimperio Holowach, 63, of New York City, last summer when she was swimming off Bailey Island. Interest in the species has increased in the state since.

Maryland

Baltimore: The state’s highest court has upheld a lower court’s emergency order keeping Maryland enrolled in enhanced federal unemployment programs. News outlets report that Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera on Monday dismissed Gov. Larry Hogan’s attempt to block the 10-day temporary restraining order issued a Baltimore judge issued Saturday. Unemployed residents will continue to receive federal unemployment benefits, including supplemental $300 weekly payments, through at least July 13. The Court of Special Appeals, the state’s second-highest court, had rejected an appeal from Hogan and the state’s Department of Labor on Saturday evening. The parties will return to Baltimore Circuit Court on Friday for a hearing on the matter and continue on Monday, if necessary. Hogan’s administration had planned to cut off the benefits over the weekend, ahead of their expiration in September. Other states with Republican governors have taken similar steps. Lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that ending the benefits early would cut off a lifeline for struggling families. Hogan has said ending the benefits will help get people into jobs.

Massachusetts

Salem: The Peabody Essex Museum is offering vaccination clinics and expanding its hours as the coronavirus pandemic eases in the state, museum officials announced Tuesday. The new, expanded hours kick off Friday, when the Salem museum holds the first of several COVID-19 vaccination clinics. The clinics, in partnership with Curative, will offer Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson shots at no cost on Fridays from 4 to 7 p.m. through Aug. 13. Visitors who get a shot also get free admission and will be entered into the state’s vaccine lottery with a chance to win either $1 million or a $300,000 college scholarship. The museum has also lifted its mask mandate for staff and visitors in accordance with public health recommendations and will soon resume historic house and gallery tours. Enhanced sanitation and disinfection efforts will continue. The museum closed in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic and reopened with limited hours last summer. “We have much in store this summer with hybrid virtual and live programs, new exhibitions, and a renewed sense of gratitude for being able to celebrate creativity and connection,” Robert Monk, the museum’s interim chief operating officer, said in a statement.

Michigan

Lansing: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday called for allotting $150 million in federal coronavirus rescue funds for the state’s local parks and trails – the second time she has proposed major recreation spending in less than a month. The proposal, if approved by lawmakers, would authorize the state to disburse grants to applicants. The governor said the spending on parks and recreation would boost tourism, particularly aiding seasonal and rural economies, and help sectors disproportionately hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Right now this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make transformative investment in our outdoors spaces, and we ought to take it,” she said during a news conference at Connor Bayou Park in Grand Haven. The money could be used to make parks more accessible and to build playgrounds, basketball courts, pavilions and boardwalks, Whitmer said. It also could improve regional trail systems, including in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ottawa County and St. Clair County. The Democratic governor last month proposed allocating $250 million of $6.5 billion in discretionary federal COVID-19 funding to state parks. She also has called for using the aid to expand a tuition-free program, help businesses temporarily pay at least $15 an hour, and give front-line workers “hero pay” bonuses.

Minnesota

St. Paul: Foresters and landowners are concerned that a disease that kills oak trees is creeping farther north in the state. The mighty oak is one of the most abundant trees in Minnesota. Oak wilt was been around for decades and has been confirmed in 40 of the state’s counties. But the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is now finding cases farther north than ever before, most recently in Crow Wing County, Minnesota Public Radio News reports. “I consider oak wilt to be really one of the top forest health issues in this part of the state, in particular because we have so many red and pin oaks up in this area,” said Rachael Dube, a DNR forest health specialist in Brainerd. Dube counted 40 oak trees around her home in Brainerd, less than 10 miles from where oak wilt was recently confirmed. “I talked with people not only that have had (trees with) oak wilt but are concerned about getting it. And it’s an issue that people are starting to become really passionate about in the area,” Dube said. The non-native disease slowly kills the leaves of an oak tree and, eventually, the tree itself. It spreads through its root systems and through open tree pores. People accelerate the spread when they prune oaks and carry infected firewood across the state, foresters said.

Mississippi

Jackson: The nation’s leading infectious disease expert says despite being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, if he were in the country’s least-vaccinated state, he’d don a face mask. Along with the Magnolia State’s fully vaccinated rate of 31%, falling far behind the nation’s average of 47%, Dr. Anthony Fauci is concerned about the rapidly spreading delta variant of the coronavirus. “I might want to go the extra mile to be cautious enough to be sure that I get the extra added layer of protection, even though the vaccines themselves are highly effective,” Fauci told Chuck Todd during NBC’s “Meet the Press.” The delta variant has quickly gained prominence in the U.S., making up 10% of new COVID-19 cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Federal health officials have noted available vaccines are effective against the delta variant, but as Fauci put it, “nothing is 100%.” Since Gov. Tate Reeves lifted Mississippi’s county-by-county mask mandates in March, daily COVID-19 cases had been on the decline. But within the past two weeks, the state health department’s public database shows cases rising again. “It feels very reminiscent of where we were in an early part of the pandemic,” State Epidemiologist Paul Byers said last week. “It feels like we’re in the same situation now with the delta variant.”

Missouri

Nixa: As the coronavirus surges in the state, a mayor who imposed a mask requirement and other public safety measures is facing a recall vote, even though the requirements have long since expired. Nixa voters will have the option to recall Mayor Brian Steele at a special election set for Nov. 2. Steele, who was delegated emergency powers by the City Council to deal with the pandemic, enacted the mask ordinance in October and ended it April 30. The petition said Steele should be recalled for “individually and without regard to the citizens of Nixa, nor the vote of city council, enacting a mask mandate, and taking other actions detrimental to the city of Nixa, its economy and the health and welfare of the community in general.” Nixa, which has about 21,000 residents, is located about 10 miles south of Springfield, where hospitals are overflowing with COVID-19 patients, leading to a shortage of ventilators. Health officials are blaming low vaccination rates and the delta variant of the coronavirus for the surge. Just 44.8% of the state’s residents have received at least the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, compared to 54.9% nationally. And the rate is even lower in southwest Missouri. Christian County, where Nixa is located, has a vaccine rate of 35.2%. Some nearby counties have rates in the teens.

Montana

Crow Agency: The warriors and their galloping horses kicked up dust as they circled the field to finish off the last of Gen. George Armstrong Custer’s men as onlookers watched during the Battle of Little Bighorn reenactment late last month. “This has been one of our most successful days; it was a gift,” organizer Jimmy Real Bird said in an interview with The Billings Gazette. “The land brings people out. It is like a breath of fresh air to see its history.” The reenactment, which took place on the 145th anniversary of Custer’s Last Stand, is a part of the annual Crow Native Days, a celebration that attracts thousands of people from across the country to see rodeos, reenactment and more around Crow Agency. The festival, sidelined last year due to COVID-19, is giving a much-needed boost to the morale and local economy of the area. “Today is a good day to be here; today is a good day to be Crow,” Chairman Frank White Clay said during an address to veterans June 25. White Clay noted that the tribe has had struggles with the pandemic. It halted any chance of meeting in person for over a year while also killing tribal members at a higher rate than the Montana average. Those dark days, he said, have passed. The warriors consisted of young Crow Tribe riders who played braves from the Crow, Sioux and Cheyenne tribes.

Nebraska

Norfolk: A former Junior Miss Nebraska is hoping the blankets she made will provide comfort and warmth to children who may be experiencing difficulties in their lives. Megan Olson’s project began last December when the 21-year-old made fleece blankets for several friends, the Norfolk Daily News reports. “It became an obsession,” said the 21-year-old, who is studying to be a veterinary technician at Northeast Community College in Norfolk. The blankets are made from two layers of fleece that are fringed around the edges. The top and bottom strips are knotted together, which keeps the two layers in place. Olson was drawn to the project for a number of reasons. “I wanted to make something useful,” she told the Daily News. The blankets also brought back memories. “I remembered one of the blankets I had as a child when I broke my arm,” she said. Olson recently donated 12 blankets to Project Linus through Tara Brtek, a counselor at Washington Elementary School in Norfolk. Project Linus, which donates new blankets to children in need, is named for the character by the same name in the Peanuts cartoon who carries a blanket everywhere he goes. Olson said some of the blankets she made will be used by students at the school, while others may be given to students to take home.

Nevada

Las Vegas: The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is proposing rounding up more than 500 wild burros in the desert north of Lake Mead. The feral donkeys are stripping the land of vegetation and could die off if the population isn’t managed along the Arizona-Nevada line, the agency said. It wants to gather most of them to offer up for adoption. If the plan is approved, the government also plans to temporarily sterilize other burros and round up the animals at other points over the next decade, the Las Vegas Sun reports. No date for the roundup has been set. It could be years away or as early as this fall if a historic drought in the West dries up enough plants and grass to force starvation conditions, agency documents indicate. The proposal also includes removing a small herd of wild horses in the same area. The Bureau of Land Management estimates at least 554 burros and 36 horses live in the Lake Mead Complex, an expanse of rangeland covering about 291 square miles. It’s one of the biggest herds in Nevada. The agency manages the complex along with the National Park Service. The area can support up to 98 burros and no horses, Bureau of Land Management officials said. The animals reproduce exponentially and have few predators, and their demands mean food and water sources aren’t sustainable, according to the agency.

New Hampshire

Concord: Up to 2,000 Dartmouth-Hitchcock employees will keep working remotely in some capacity after the coronavirus pandemic, officials said. Brenda Blair of Dartmouth-Hitchcock told the Valley News that positions will be affected at least part of the time in human resources, information technology, finance and clinical secretary services. The total includes about 13% of the health system’s employees overall and almost 20% of workers at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon. “It is increasing our ability to recruit and retain our staff,” Blair said. “We are employing workers outside of Vermont and New Hampshire.” She characterized the current shift as one from “remote by necessity,” which the health system adopted in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic, to “remote by design,” in which Dartmouth-Hitchcock has taken the time to think through how best to approach remote work. Blair said some employees will work from home full time, while others will rotate in-person days with other co-workers.

New Jersey

Wildwood: The state has set aside $4 million in its recently enacted budget for long-needed repairs to the Wildwood boardwalk, one of the Jersey Shore’s main attractions. But city officials say the walkway needs work that could cost $60 million. Gov. Phil Murphy visited the resort town Sunday to describe the aid and meet with local officials, the Press of Atlantic City reports. “It’s an iconic boardwalk, by any measure,” Murphy said. “It’s America’s boardwalk, and the extent to which we get this thing rebuilt properly has a huge positive impact on the boardwalk, on the businesses on the boardwalk (and) on tourism.” The Democratic governor had visited the walkway in April 2020 after a storm damaged sections of the boardwalk near the Convention Center. But before that storm hit, city officials had said the walkway was overdue for an overhaul. Mayor Pete Byron told the newspaper that the total cost of the work could reach $60 million but that Wildwood had come up with a partial plan that would cost $35 million. The newspaper said Murphy did not address a question about his veto of a $56 million earmark for the Wildwood boardwalk in 2019.

New Mexico

Santa Fe: The city is tapping into federal grant money and other funding to pilot an initiative aimed at getting more children to ride their bicycles and walk to school. Students at Nina Otero Community School and El Camino Real Academy in Santa Fe are among those receiving bike safety lessons this summer as part of the citywide effort, the Santa Fe New Mexican reports. A $300,000 grant and matching money from the Santa Fe Metropolitan Planning Organization will pay for staffing and a consultant, who will help build staff and volunteer groups to keep bike safety a top priority. Funding will also be spent on experts in fields like geographic information systems so recommendations can be made on improvements to trails, sidewalks and crosswalks around town. “We’ll be looking into improvements on campus areas,” said Tim Rogers, Conservation Trust trails program manager and Safe Routes coordinator. “We have all been working primarily on the south side.” Safe Routes to School initiatives span the nation, emphasizing pedestrian and bike safety for kids getting to school. Rogers said a Safe Routes program in Las Cruces is possibly the only comprehensive program in the state. A 2015 study showed the longer Safe Routes initiatives were in place, the more kids started walking and biking to schools.

New York

New York: The city that never sleeps could live up to its name under an agency’s proposal for 24-hour entertainment districts where revelers can party all night. The city’s Office of Nightlife is recommending that officials identify areas with low residential density “where a limited 24-hour program might be tested.” The recommendation is contained in a 160-page report issued this month by the nightlife office. “Cities around the world are expanding the way institutions and businesses can operate at night, as limitations on closing hours have pushed latenight activity to unlicensed venues, sometimes coming into conflict with residential uses,” the report says. “Uniform closing hours for nightlife businesses can result in groups of people congregating in the street, elevating tensions between patrons and residents.” The report notes that Amsterdam began allowing nightlife venues to apply for 24-hour licenses in 2012, “developing strict criteria for potential applicants that included cultural significance, accessibility to public transportation, and locations without ‘inconvenience to local residents.’ ” New York City’s Office of Nightlife, part of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, was created in 2017 to serve as a liaison between nightlife operators and city enforcement agencies.

North Carolina

Corolla: A new museum will house wooden boats that plied the Currituck Sound when world-class duck hunting and bass fishing were livelihoods for local watermen and passions for the wealthy. The 10,000 square-foot, $4.3 million Currituck Maritime Museum in the shadow of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse is set to open next week, The Virginian-Pilot reports. “It tells of a way of life that’s not around anymore,” said Currituck County native Wilson Snowden. Currituck is a Native American word meaning “land of the wild goose.” For about a century from the mid-1800s, the Currituck Sound was renowned for duck hunting when millions of waterfowl wintered there. In the mid-20th century, the sound also was known for excellent largemouth bass fishing. The bounty created industries that served as the beginning of tourism in the area. Plush hunt clubs sprung up along the sound to meet the demand of wealthy industrialists who came to hunt and fish and hired locals to guide them. Men became experts at building boats and carving decoys. Before federal law prohibited market duck hunting in the early 1900s, watermen would shoot hundreds and sell them to be shipped to restaurants. A single canvasback duck sold for $6 in 1900, equal to $157 in today’s money, according to a museum exhibit.

North Dakota

Bismarck: About 125 soldiers from a National Guard unit based in the city will be sent to the U.S. border with Mexico later this year for an undetermined amount of time, the North Dakota Guard said Tuesday. The soldiers from the 957th Engineer Company are expected to begin the deployment this fall, the military said. Mike Nowatzki, a spokesman for Gov. Doug Burgum, said the Department of the Army made the request through the National Guard Bureau. “We have monitored the ongoing crisis at the southern border and have responded to the request by sending North Dakota National Guard Soldiers to support the efforts to secure our border,” the Republican governor said in a statement. Nowatzki said the deployment is being funded by the federal government. Burgum is among a growing list of Republican governors promising to send law enforcement officers to Texas. Heads of state from Arkansas, Florida, Nebraska and Iowa have all committed to sending law enforcement officers for border security. In South Dakota, a billionaire Republican donor is paying $1 million to help defray the cost. Nowatzki said he was not aware of any private donors who had offered to offset the cost of the deployment of North Dakota National Guard troops.

Ohio

Columbus: The state Supreme Court announced Tuesday that it would not consider an appeal over the firing of a white police officer who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice outside a Cleveland recreation center in 2014. The appeal was filed in April by the Cleveland Police Patrolment’s Association on behalf former Officer Timothy Loehmann. Cleveland fired Loehmann in 2017 not for killing Tamir, who was Black, but for providing false information on his job application. An arbitrator and a county judge upheld his firing. A state appellate court earlier this year dismissed Loehmann’s appeal, citing the union’s failure to serve notice on outside attorneys hired by the city. Loehmann, a rookie, shot Tamir within seconds of a cruiser skidding to a stop near a gazebo where the child had been sitting. Officers responded to a call from a man who said someone was waving a gun around. The man also told a dispatcher that the gun could be a fake and that the person might be a juvenile. A state grand jury declined to indict Loehmann in Tamir’s shooting, and in December federal authorities announced they would not bring federal criminal charges. “I am glad that Loehmann will never have a badge and gun in Cleveland again,” Tamir’s mother, Samaria Rice, said in a statement issued Tuesday.

Oklahoma

Stillwater: A research project at Oklahoma State University aims to determine whether livestock producers can use virtual fence systems to control herds of cattle. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded researchers at the university more than $800,000 for the study in June. Researchers began studying the technology in February 2020 and have collaborated with California-based company Vence, which is developing the fencing systems, officials said. Thanks to the EPA grant, which provides funding for the next three years of the project, researchers say they’re ready to study the technology until the cows come home. “We’re ready now to move into some more long-term studies,” said Dr. Kevin Wager, an OSU professor who is leading the study. “It’s going to be a good project, and I’m really excited about it.” In some ways, the fences are similar to invisible fences for dogs and other domestic animals. Using a virtual fencing system, ranchers can set up boundary lines to contain cattle within pastures or specific parts of pastures. Cattle wear GPS-equipped collars around their necks that emit a sound when they are near a virtual boundary line. If cattle don’t heed the sound, they’ll receive an electric shock. The goal, researchers say, is to teach cattle to listen to the sound and turn around.

Oregon

Salem: The Oregon Department of Agriculture has filed a temporary emergency rule requiring all mink ranchers to vaccinate their animals against COVID-19. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports that State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz said officials are looking to stop the coronavirus from mutating in mink and being passed back to humans. “ODA is taking the necessary precautions to reduce the risk of infection in captive mink, as well as reduce the risk of potential mutation of the virus and the potential for virus transmission back to humans,” Scholz said in a statement. The state has given ranchers until the end of August to complete the inoculations. A 2020 report by Fur Commission USA counts 11 permitted mink farms in Oregon with an estimated 438,327 animals. That makes Oregon the fourth-largest pelt-producing state behind Wisconsin, Utah and Idaho. Eight of Oregon’s mink farms are in Marion County, with two in Clatsop County and one in Linn County.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: The head of a county child welfare agency in northeastern Pennsylvania was charged Tuesday with ordering workers to falsely close files on allegations of child abuse and neglect in response to public reports of a significant backlog of cases. The state attorney general’s office accused Joanne G. Van Saun, 58, of Dallas, Pennsylvania, with child endangerment and obstruction for ending investigations in order to clear the backlog at the Luzerne County Department of Children and Youth Services. She resigned from her position as agency director Friday. Van Saun’s attorney, Patrick A. Casey, declined comment. In court documents, investigators said Van Saun set up a team led by three senior aides to address a backlog of nearly 1,400 cases that was reported by The Citizens’ Voice of Wilkes-Barre in 2017. “Van Saun told the three leaders that she wanted the backlog eradicated immediately, and that she did not care how they did it,” according to the probable cause affidavit used to charge her. Investigators said people who worked under Van Saun described her as a bully and tyrant. Authorities claim more than 200 referrals from the state-run ChildLine hotline were improperly at her direction in May 2017, including reports of an adult telling children to kill themselves and a 100-pound child still using a diaper.

Rhode Island

Providence: The more people who get vaccinated against COVID-19, the more charities in the state stand to benefit under a program announced Tuesday by Gov. Daniel McKee. Under the COVID-19 Vaccination Incentive Fund, for every 5,000 additional people who get a first dose of a vaccine, an increasing amount of money will be granted to Rhode Island nonprofits. It starts with $100,000 after the first 5,000 shots, up to $200,000 for the fifth round of 5,000 shots, officials said. Other states have vaccine incentive programs, but they usually benefit individuals in the form of cash prizes or scholarships. The $750,000 program is funded by $500,000 from the state and $250,000 from the Rhode Island Foundation. “We did intentional research and reflection to create a program that celebrates the spirit of Rhode Island, sustains the importance of getting all Rhode Islanders vaccinated over time, and provides support back to the organizations that are getting our most vulnerable neighbors through the pandemic,” the Democratic governor said in a statement. Eligible nonprofits based in the state can apply starting immediately through the Rhode Island Foundation’s website. Applications will be accepted through July 30. Eligible organizations must provide services or direct assistance in response to the pandemic.

South Carolina

Columbia: A group that considers pay raises for the leaders of state agencies has agreed to give tens of thousands of dollars in pay increases to five directors. There was only one vote Thursday against the raises by the Agency Head Salary Commission, with most members agreeing the extra pay is needed to keep talented leaders with increased competition from private industries, The State newspaper reports. “Unfortunately we have been behind the curve on salaries in South Carolina,” said House Majority Leader Gary Simrill, R-Rock Hill, who acknowledged the increases would draw public scrutiny. “It’s difficult to hire and retain talent.” The raises range from 19% to 48% on salaries that now range from $245,000 to nearly $300,000. Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall got a 19% bump to $298,000 a little over a year after getting a 32% raise. “I use Secretary Hall as a prime example of a person who understands an agency from top to bottom,” Simrill said. The lone vote against the raises came from Senate President Harvey Peeler. The Republican from Gaffney suggested the raises could be spread out over three years as he pointed out that the amount of the increase for some leaders was more than the yearly pay for some state employees, while still saying the directors had “earned their pay.”

South Dakota

Rapid City: Protesters climbed a grain mill downtown and hung a giant upside-down American flag on the building to protest mistreatment of American Indians. The Rapid City Journal reports the “Fourth of You Lie” protest began at a park Sunday evening. Candi Brings Plenty, an organizer with the American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota, read a list of demands that included forming releasing police disciplinary records, calling for external reviews of police brutality allegations and creating an American Indian commission. Dozens of protesters marched through the streets. The protest was intended to end at the Pennington County jail but continued to the Dakota Mill and Grain Silo after a group of protesters broke off and headed there to hang the flag, which was emblazoned with the words “Land Back.”

Tennessee

Nashville: Three fire lookout towers are among seven properties across the state recently named to the National Register of Historic Places, officials said. The Tennessee Historical Commission said Friday that the locations were deemed worthy of making the list of important cultural resources in the U.S. The commission said the Big Hill Fire Lookout Tower in Marion County, the Twinton Fire Lookout Tower in Overton County, and the Chuck Swan Fire Lookout Tower in Union County have been named to the register. The towers, which range from 60 to 100 feet tall, allowed rangers to monitor fire activity more easily than they would on the ground. Tennessee once had 208 lookout towers, but little more than half remain, the commission said. Also placed on the the register were the T-201 Aircraft Hangar in Coffee County, the Overton Park Court Apartments in Shelby County, and Beck Knob Cemetery and the Price-Evans Foundry, both in Hamilton County.

Texas

Austin: Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday demanded that the Texas Public Utility Commission take immediate action to shore up the state’s troubled electrical grid, targeting renewable energy and blaming it for some of the problems. In a letter to the commission, Abbott directed the board to take steps to increase the amount of electricity produced in the state. Specifically, Abbott told the utility commission to work to provide incentives for the construction and maintenance of natural gas, coal and nuclear power. Further, Abbott directed his appointees at the utility commission to take aim at wind and solar power, which have been criticized for their perceived unpredictability in producing power, even as failures at natural gas plants played a significant role in power failures during the February freeze and in last month’s conservation call. Abbott directed the utility commission to begin assessing “reliability costs,” which could take the form of fines, to power plants “that cannot guarantee their own availability, such as wind or solar power,” the letter says. “When they fail to do so, those generators should shoulder the costs of that failure,” Abbott’s letter says. “Failing to do so creates an uneven playing field between non-renewable and renewable energy generators and creates uncertainty of available generation in” the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.

Utah

Salt Lake City: Wildlife officials say a rare animal spotted in a nearby neighborhood likely has been on the move in search of a new place to live. A home doorbell camera caught the wolverine on video Thursday in west Layton, about 15 miles west of Salt Lake City, The Salt Lake Tribune reports. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources officials believe it was the same animal seen on nearby Antelope Island in early May. Wolverines have been spotted in Utah only six times. The last time before this year was in 2016. The largest members of the weasel family, wolverines look like a combination of a skunk and bear and reach 40 pounds. They are rare in the Rocky Mountain region and typically found in high mountain areas. Males usually establish a territory with one to three females, leaving two other males on average to rove in search of their own territories, said wildlife biologist and Wolverine Foundation board member Jeff Copeland. “In doing so they can end up in some really odd places we’ve seen over the years,” Copeland said. Wolverines often don’t shy away from people but aren’t dangerous, just naturally curious, he said. Wolverines declined in the U.S. before beginning to rebound in the 1960s.

Vermont

Montpelier: The Vermont Statehouse opened to the public Tuesday after being closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. People can tour the Montpelier landmark again, but guided tours won’t be resuming yet. Visitors will be able to take self-guided tours on their phones. Vaccinations are recommended but not required. While visitors are allowed, lawmakers are still figuring out how they will continue to conduct the people’s business after the pandemic. During the pandemic, lawmakers held video meetings. “We were able to flip the lights off pretty quick. I think that’s a testament to the flexibility of the Legislature and the public,” Capitol Police Chief Matthew Romei told WCAX-TV. “But flipping it back on is going to take a little bit of work.”

Virginia

Richmond: Officials in the capital city plan to resume evicting families from public housing units for the first time in nearly two years if they have failed to pay their rent. The Times-Dispatch reports that over 800 households in units overseen by the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority had entered repayment plans for delinquent balances totaling about $1 million as of mid-June. Nearly 700 of them had fallen behind on those agreements, according to a housing official. The authority, which oversees roughly 3,700 units, had agreed to halt evictions in 2019 under pressure from tenants’ advocates. After the COVID-19 pandemic hit, a government moratorium protected tenants from getting evicted. Households that are more than two months behind on their rent could face eviction in August, but the housing authority said it will not pursue cases against tenants who are in the pipeline for rent relief.

Washington

Spokane: A vandal smashed 14 windows at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Spokane Valley over the weekend. Paul Dillon, vice president of public affairs for Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho, said the vandalism occurred about 12:30 p.m. Saturday, and a suspect was arrested on site soon after. Dillon said multiple witnesses observed the incident, which was recorded by security cameras, The Spokesman-Review reports. “He collected a bunch of rocks and started smashing windows in the building, including every front window and the main clinic entrance,” Dillon said of the suspect. Dillon noted the vandalism occurred the day after a court hearing was conducted in which a Spokane County judge heard arguments in the lawsuit the local Planned Parenthood organization filed against the Church at Planned Parenthood, an abortion protest group, alleging its frequent religious services and noisy demonstrations held outside the Spokane clinic have interfered with treatment and intimidated patients and staff. On Friday, Planned Parenthood sought a permanent injunction against the group. Dillon speculated that Saturday’s vandalism might be connected to Friday’s court action.

West Virginia

Charleston: The state has crossed the threshold of 1 million residents receiving at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The milestone announced by Gov. Jim Justice on Tuesday equates to 64.5% of all residents ages 12 and up. Nearly 54%, or about 837,000, of residents 12 and up have received both vaccines. Justice acknowledged at a news conference that the state is “in our infancy” with the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus and that the odds are “astronomical” that there will be substantially more cases of it among unvaccinated residents. According to state health data, 12 cases of the delta variant, which was first detected in India and now has been found in more than 80 countries, have been reported in West Virginia. There have been 2,901 deaths from the virus in the state since the start of the pandemic. “If you’re out there in West Virginia, and you’re not vaccinated today, what’s the downside?” Justice said. “If all of us were vaccinated, do you not believe that less people would die? If you’re not vaccinated, you’re part of the problem rather than part of the solution.”

Wisconsin

Madison: As many as one-third of the state’s gray wolves likely died at the hands of humans in the months after the federal government announced it was ending legal protections, according to a study released Monday. Poaching and a February hunt that far exceeded kill quotas were largely responsible for the drop-off, University of Wisconsin scientists said, though some other scientists say more direct evidence is needed for some of the calculations. Adrian Treves, an environmental studies professor, said his team’s findings should raise doubts about having another hunting season this fall and serve notice to wildlife managers in other states with wolves. Removing federal protections “opens the door for antagonists to kill large numbers in short periods, legally and illegally,” Treves and two colleagues said in a paper published by the journal PeerJ. “The history of political scapegoating of wolves may repeat itself.” The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service dropped gray wolves in the Lower 48 states from its list of endangered and threatened species in January, shortly before former President Donald Trump left office. Agency biologists have long argued that the predator has recovered from persecution that nearly wiped it out by the mid-20th century.

Wyoming

Gillette: A man who asked a sheriff’s dispatcher why he hadn’t been arrested soon found himself in handcuffs. The 62-year-old called the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office on June 24 to ask why he hadn’t been arrested after deputies raided his house the previous day. Asked why he should be arrested, the man said meth use, according to Undersheriff Quentin Reynolds. The man also told a dispatcher 10 young men were following him. Nobody had raided the man’s house or was planning to arrest him, Reynolds said. After the call, a deputy spotted the man driving and followed when he pulled off the road, the Gillette News Record reports. The man allegedly told the deputy he had used methamphetamine a day and a half before and was still high. He did poorly on sobriety tests and was arrested for driving under the influence of a controlled substance.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Virtual cow fences, 24-hour NYC partying: News from around our 50 states